Melt the Ice Around her Heart
by Crona4
Summary: [AnnaxKristoff][ElsaxOC] Anna and Kristoff are married, trade is running smoothly amongst the countries, and there seems to be no danger. Everything seems perfect. But everything is not always as it seems. Or so everyone finds out when Elsa falls terribly ill. There is only one antidote, but the question is... Will they get to it in time?
1. Chapter 1

"Elsa?" A voice sounded at the Queen's door, a cheeky tone as a familiar pattern of 5 knocks radiated inside of the room.

Queen Elsa of Arendelle stirred slightly in her sleep, giving a small groan as she came to the realization that it was morning time. She recognized the voice as that of her younger sister's. "Just a minute," she called, her voice hanging with drowsiness as she sat up and sighed, rubbing her eyes.

Elsa dragged herself out of bed and brushed through her slight bedhead, which was nothing compared to her sister's bedhead, which was more like a lion's mane.

"Hurry," her sister's voice rang through the room once again, and Elsa forced herself into new clothing for the new day, since she had showered the night before.

Still groggy from sleep, Elsa stood up straighter, placed her blank Queen stare on her face, and opened her door. Anna wasn't here, likely because she must've gotten impatient. _Fair enough, _ Elsa thought to herself, walking down the hall with careful, gentle steps.

She reached the Dining Hall before long, where her sister, Princess Anna of Arendelle, her husband, Official Arendelle Ice Master and deliverer Kristoff, and Olaf, the talking snowman sat at the table, waiting.

Elsa noted how Anna was staring hungrily at her French toast in front of her, but was restraining herself until her sister got there. Elsa was smiling, her smile turning genuine for a few seconds, before-

"Hey, look, Anna! Elsa's here!" Olaf called loudly, and Elsa sighed slightly.

Anna turned to glance at her sister, flashing her classic Anna smile, before diving into her food at long last. Elsa chuckled a little bit at her younger sister's eating.

The Queen crossed over and sat down in the seat next to her sister, where her plate was already waiting with two pieces of French toast upon it. She formally thanked the chefs before they bowed to her and returned to the kitchen.

It hadn't even been a minute from when Elsa sat down when suddenly she was engulfed in a huge hug. Nearly choking out of surprise, Elsa glanced down at her younger sister.

"I missed you, Elsa!" Anna exclaimed, even though it had been five years since The Great Freeze. Anna still did this every morning, to remind Elsa of how glad she was that they were finally family again.

Elsa smiled at her sister, feeling warmed all over again. "That's great Anna, but you're kind of suffocating me here," she breathed out, wheezing slightly.

"Oh, sorry!" her sister apologized quickly, releasing Elsa from the bone-crushing hug.

Elsa pressed her hand to her chest, breathing rather heavily. "You know Anna, you could be a little gentler next time," she pointed out, but couldn't keep the amused smile off her face. Her sister's antics entertained her so.

"I know, I know," her younger sister sighed, but beamed at Elsa anyways.

Everyone indulged in the French toast, basically consuming the food, except for Elsa. She ate a little slower, much slower than usual actually. The Queen just wasn't feeling too hungry. She continued to eat for Anna's sake, though. She didn't want her sister to get worried. Anna was the first finished, and popped out of her seat, leaving the servants to clean up her plate.

Kristoff was second done, and Olaf hobbled after the mountain man, since Olaf didn't really have to eat. Elsa stared down at her plate, half a piece of French toast still on it.

"Your majesty, are you not hungry?" A servant asked, taking Elsa by surprise.

Elsa placed her Queenly mask back on, her expression blank again except for her ever-present smile. "I'm really not. My appetite just flew out the window," she replied, glad that she was able to get out of finishing her food, since she was sure she probably wouldn't be able to shove any more down her throat.

The servant nodded and rushed the plate back into the kitchen. She returned a minute or so later, though, with a wash cloth. She began to wipe down the table as Elsa stood up, thanked her, and began to walk towards the door.

Elsa coughed into her hand a little bit, trying to hide it. But it was obvious the servant noticed. She hurried to her Queen's side, fretting already. "Milady, are you alright?" she inquired in a concerned tone.

"Yes, yes, just a tickle in my throat, that's all," the Queen dismissed the matter. "I'm fine, I promise. Thank you though," she added, smiling at the servant again before padding out of the Dining Hall and back towards her room, where she would have to write a letter in reply to a rather isolated country that was asking to perhaps set up a trade deal.

Elsa sighed a little bit in relief as she reached her room, the nagging feeling in her throat still there. _It'll go away soon, though, I'm sure,_ she reassured herself. Probably just a little cough. Yeah, that's it. Just a little cough.

Elsa had just barely sat down at her desk when the pattern of knocking from earlier sounded. "Come in," she called, and in stepped Anna, smiling.

"Hey Elsa, do you want to build a snowman?"

"I really do Anna, but I have to write this letter first. I'm sorry, I'll be out later," Elsa frowned as she spoke the words. Sadness reflected on her sister's face.

"O-okay… Well, then, I'll see you later, I guess?"

Elsa smiled again, trying to lighten her sister's mood. Since it was winter, there was already snow outside. "Go on and get it ready for me, okay? I promise I'll be there soon, I just have to write this really quickly first, and then I will be right out there. But don't keep Olaf waiting too long, or he might start without you!"

"Right!" he sister replied cheerily, in a good mood again, as she scampered out of Elsa's rom, just barely remembering to close the door before running down the hall, through the Main Room, and out into the courtyard. Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven were already waiting for her.

When Kristoff noticed her skipping over to them, he raised his hand and waved her over, causing her to run a little faster.

In her speed, Anna tripped over her own dress, gasping as she fell to the ground, receiving a face full of snow. Kristoff and Olaf laughed goodheartedly once she stood up, and she stops, crossing her arms and giving a little huff.

"Not funny!" she complained, but not long after, her arms fell as she broke into laughter. Even Sven was making noises resembling laughter. Anna scampered over to the three, this time without tripping, and bowled Kristoff over, giggling excitedly.

Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven commenced the snowman-building, even though one of the builders was a snowman himself. Either way, they all enjoyed their good time.

Meanwhile, inside the castle, Elsa was sweating over the letter. Every now and then her vision would focus and become unfocused, then refocus again, and a small headache was creeping up on her. She figured she was just dehydrated, though, and made her way into the kitchen, asking for a glass of water.

She drank the water thirstily, returning to her room as soon as she was done. With a clearer head than before, she was eager to finish the letter so she could go join her family in some fun.

With her luck, though, no such thing would be permitted.


	2. Chapter 2

Anna bounced around happily in the snow, completely enjoying herself and completely oblivious to her sister's deterioration in the castle. She called to Sven as the reindeer rushed towards her. With practiced finesse, she grabbed onto his neck fur and swung herself onto him.

Shouting with defiance, she gently pulled his antlers to the right, making him swerve around. "To our enemy!" she yelled as Sven raced towards Kristoff. Kristoff jumped in surprise, since he hadn't noticed them planning to charge him. Anna pulled hidden snowballs out of her cloak and easily pelted Kristoff with them. One of them smacked him squarely in his face, and Anna couldn't help but yell triumphantly.

"Not fair!" Kristoff called, but he was smiling as he wiped snow out of his eyes and off his chest. Anna merely stuck her tongue out at him as Sven raced past, Anna clinging to the reindeer's great antlers. As they went by, in one swift movement, Anna threw Kristoff's beanie into the snow, dropping a snowball on his head. "Oh, I'm going to get you for that!"

Anna just laughed at this, in her usual bubbly manner, her heart enlightened by the fun. "Can't get what you can't catch!" she shouted, teasing as she gently kicked Sven's flank. "Faster, Sven!" she urged, a wide grin on her face.

Kristoff then proceeded to chase after Anna and Sven, but as expected, failed miserably. H tripped and landed just as Anna had landed not one hour ago, making her laugh and Olaf giggle.

Through all their fun, no one knew about Elsa nearly breaking down inside the castle.

Elsa's head was pounding, and even second glass of water did nothing to relieve her pain. She jumped as a knock sounded at her door.

She crossed over and opened it. Outside her door stood Gerda, looking a little nervous. Elsa relaxed a little bit, hoping she didn't look as bad as she felt.

"Hello, Gerda," she greeted her old time friend and servant.

"Umm, your majesty, may I get you anything? I just have this uneasy feeling that you need my assistance…"

Elsa decided to take the opportunity, and jumped at the suggestion. "Oh, actually I would like an aspirin, if I can. I have a small headache. It will go away with some aspirin soon, I'm sure," she replied. 'Small' was a huge understatement from what it really was. It felt like someone was hammering into her skull from inside of her head, and she was starting to get annoyed with it.

Gerda nodded and quickly rushed away towards the kitchen where the medicine cabinet was. Elsa sighed and, leaving her door open, walked onto her bed and slumped down. She erupted in a small bout of coughing as soon as she did. _What is wrong with me?_ She thought angrily to herself.

The moment Gerda's footsteps could be heard in the hall once more, Elsa hid her coughing fit and straightened her back like a true queen. She shouldn't have been slouching in the first place.

Gerda came back in with two aspirin pills and a glass of water.

"Thank you," Elsa said, accepting the water and pills. "You may go now, I will call if I need any more assistance," she added, and Gerda nodded, basically sprinting out of there.

Elsa placed the pills in her mouth, resting them upon her tongue, and tipped the glass up a little bit, swallowing her pills with the rush of water that flowed into her mouth. She set the glass down, and walked back over to her study.

She stared at her mostly blank paper. She hadn't gotten past _Dear King Louis,_ yet. She became frustrated and agitated, mostly at herself for not being able to finish it, and suddenly stood up. Her blue eyes were blazing with irritation as she conjured up snowballs and through them at the wall.

After the fifth one, she stopped, panting. She easily thawed the snow, trying desperately to ignore her headache, and slumped back down in her chair, sighing. She covered her hand with her mouth as another coughing fit came upon her. Suddenly her eyes widened. Quickly, she rushed out of her room, her braided hair floating behind her.

She ran into the bathroom and just barely made it to the toilet before she puked. By the time she was done, she figured she had nothing left in her stomach. Still, bile came up right as she was about to take her head away. Trembling, she stood up and walked over to the mirror, looking in it.

Her eyes were red, since apparently tears had squeezed out of her eyes as she threw up. She blinked them a few times before grabbing a rag, wetting it, and wiping her mouth, shuddering at the horrible taste in her mouth. Luckily, she hadn't finished her glass of water so she might be able to have a dink of that. That is, if it doesn't come right back up.

Calmly walking back to her room, even though her head was being pounded with a mallet, she sat down in her chair once more and took a small drink. She then waited, but nothing happened. Giving a small sigh of relief, she took another drink, this one a little bigger, washing the awful taste out of her mouth.

She stood up straighter and pressed the quill to the paper, starting to write. She thought she was on a roll, and was mentally congratulating herself for getting as far as she did with such a horrible headache.

Her mind wandered to what Anna, Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf were doing outside. She frowned, thinking bitterly about how much fun they were probably having while she was stuck in here, having previously puked her guts out.

The medicine seemed to only have fueled her headache to get stronger. She placed her quill down and clutched her head in pain, squeezing her eyes tight.

As if things weren't wrong enough, a huge coughing bout came upon her. The coughs burned from within her chest, though, and it felt like she was hacking up a sword.

She gasped for breaths, and then came to the resolution that she needed help. Shakily, she stood up, dropping her hands from her head, and ran out of her room, approaching the stairs quickly. She forgot all of her lessons about not running down the stairs, as Anna did it all the time, and she seemed fine.

Therefore, Elsa proceeded to sprint down the stairs. Or rather, she tried. Not two steps into it, she tripped over her own dress. Gasping, she fell down, tumbling down the long staircase.

When she finally landed at the bottom, she sat up and clutched her head, which had probably hit a step about 5 times, making the pain unbearable. Unfortunately, no servants were around. It was shift change, so that explained the absence. She coughed miserably as she ran out of the main room, just barely making it onto her legs and having just a sliver o strength left to sprint at full speed.

_The hospital. I have to go to the hospital;_ she was able to form one clear thought through the pounding in her head. She couldn't hear anything else except for her headache and very few thoughts.

Finally a servant saw her. Elsa didn't notice the servant, though, and outran him easily. She burst out of the castle and into the courtyard, where Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven all stopped what they were doing and looked at her quizzically.

"Elsa? Are you done with that letter?" Anna asked, right before she noticed the look of panic on Elsa's face. "Elsa, what's wrong?" she asked, immediately running over and lacing her arm around her sister.

Elsa jerked at the sudden contact, for she hadn't heard her sister's words over her headache, and continued to run across the snowy field.

Anna struggled to keep up with her since Elsa was basically running for dear life. About halfway across the courtyard, Elsa bent over suddenly, throwing up once again. It was mostly just bile, though.

Now Anna was extremely worried for her sister. "What's wrong, Elsa?" she asked again. Elsa didn't even hear her. When Elsa didn't reply, Anna's concern skyrocketed. "Elsa? Elsa? Elsa!" she called, trying to get her sister's attention.

Elsa stood up again, continuing to sprint for the open gates. She was gasping for breath, oxygen flying into her lungs ay short, rapid amounts.

"Anna!" Elsa choked out; just now noticing her sister was there. Anna perked up the slightest bit that Elsa took notice of her presence. She still had one arm wrapped around her sister, even though Elsa's hands were pressed to her chest as an extremely large coughing fit overwhelmed her.

By then, Kristoff had rushed over to help, while Olaf and Sven sat where they were before, rendered completely confused. Kristoff didn't know what to do, though, and he couldn't catch up to Anna and Elsa at their speed.

Elsa stumbled, falling to the floor while still sucking in as much air that she could, resembling a fish out of water a little bit.

She pushed herself up once again, running again. Right as she reached the gates, Elsa screamed as she suddenly collapsed on the soft blanket of white, lying as still as a statue.

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_**I would really appreciate if someone could review this. If you have criticism, I would prefer the form of constructive criticism, but if you just HAVE to take your anger out, then go ahead. All rude comments will be ignored. I am trying to make my chapters longer, and this one was longer than the first. To be honest, I am writing this for my own enjoyment, so unless I bore myself with it, I will not stop whatsoever. I am just posting it here for the idea that it might entertain someone else, as well. Also, if I have the rating wrong, please correct me. Thank you :).**_


	3. Chapter 3

Elsa stirred a little bit, her hand instantaneously flying up to her slightly pained head. She groaned a little bit, forcing her blue eyes open. Anna jumped at her sister's awake, immediately rushing over to crouch next to Elsa's bed.

"Elsa!" the princess gasped, clutching her sister's free hand. Hope shone on Anna's face as he older sister turned her head slightly to look at her.

"Anna," Elsa tried to say, but it came out as a dry croak. Elsa cleared her throat slightly, and attempted to say her sister's name again. "Anna," this time it sounded clearer.

Anna just gave Elsa's cold hand a small, comforting squeeze in return. A servant came behind her, and Anna turned around, taking the glass of water from the servant and facing Elsa once again, holding the glass up to her sister's lips.

Elsa was both aggravated yet reassured by the gesture, but she accepted the drink thirstily. She figured that she had probably been out for a while. "You know, I'm strong enough to lift a glass of water," she reminded her little sister, who just giggled a little bit.

"I know, but it's funny to see you accepting help," Anna teased, making Elsa roll her eyes. Suddenly, Anna got serious again, the smile that was creeping onto her face vanishing. "How do you feel?" she asked, holding her hand up to her sister's forehead. It wasn't hot, or cold for that matter, meaning she had no fever.

Elsa gave another small groan. "A little rocky, but I'm alright, I hope…"

"The doctors said that you have some type of plague that is not in their records. They tried giving you medicines, but I'm not sure any of them worked…" Anna trailed off, looking sort of morose. "They don't know how to cure it, though… The trolls will be coming later in the day. Luckily, though, the docs don't think it's contagious. They also don't think it's always that bad. Their theory is that you only have breakdowns every now and then, and after every one, the disease cells need to build up and prepare for the next attack. They think after a few more attacks, your systems will fail completely…"

Elsa took in a sharp breath, and let it out slowly as she processed this. "I hope the trolls come soon…"

"Me, too…"

A question suddenly popped into Elsa's disease-wracked mind. "Hey, how long was I out, do you know?" she asked, trying to change the subject from her possible future death. Sure the question was still related, but it was good enough for now.

"Around two days," Anna replied numbly, picking at her fingernail out of boredom. "The doctors had a tube inserted into your veins and transported the necessary vitamins and nutrients into your blood flow, or something like that, so that you wouldn't die."

Elsa nodded, understanding. Gently, she gave her sister's hand, which was still in hers, a gentle, loving squeeze. Anna looked up at her again, and Elsa smiled at her sister, causing Anna to smile as well. Elsa's smile always had such a warming effect on Anna; she couldn't help but carefully wrap her arms around her big sister.

Elsa's smile widened as she hugged her sister back, even though she was still a little weak. "We're going to get through this, okay? Everything will be alright. I promise. I will find a way to stick around and bug you for just a little while longer. I promise it on the existence of chocolate," she whispered playfully.

Anna pulled back a little bit to grin at her sister. "First of all, that is the hugest promise of your life, so I hope you mean it. Second of all, you should realize that it will not be you, bugging me, but me bugging you," she countered, her voice just as friendly and inviting, if not more.

"Don't be so sure of that," Elsa replied, touching her sister's nose lightly, still smiling. She was unable to suppress her smile, and therefore just let it show.

Anna giggled at her sister's comment. "Okay, whatever you say," she answered in a singsong voice.

This made Elsa laugh a little bit. She winced slightly from the movement, but tried to conceal the wince the best that she could. Luckily, Anna hadn't noticed. Just then, the door opened and in rolled Grand Pabbie, Kristoff and Sven following behind him. Sven's antlers got stuck in the doorway, though, so he had to wait outside of the room.

"Where's Olaf?" was the first question out of Elsa's mouth.

"He's in his igloo. He decided to do some winter cleaning," Kristoff explained, as Grand Pabbie made his way over to Elsa, hopping onto her bed.

Grand Pabbie waddled over to Elsa's head and placed one rocky hand on her forehead. Elsa grimaced as there was a sudden flash of bright, blinding whiteness on her vision, making her head hurt even more. It went away quickly though, and a soothing calm fell upon her.

Elsa's eyes closed as a brief sleep overcame her, Grand Pabbie reading her soul. Anna tensed, but Kristoff's hand on her shoulder made her relax once more.

Grand Pabbie made hushed murmurs to himself. As soon as he removed his hand, Elsa jolted awake again, gasping like a fish, her eyes wide and darting around. "Shh shh, calm down young one. You were just under a brief sleep as I found the problem."

Elsa nodded, calming down, though her heart was still beating a mile a minute. "What's wrong?" she choked out, her voice hoarse all of a sudden. She feared what he would say next.

"It seems as if this… Plague, shall we say, has messed with your heart cells. A few of them were majorly messed up, though. Every few days, it will attack your heart again. Your next one, the second one, will be in three days. After the fifth attack, exactly thirteen days from now, your heart will crumple and you will die, never to breathe another breath."

Elsa gasped, clutching onto Anna's arm with both hands and burying her face in her sister's warmth. Anna was trembling slightly as Grand Pabbie jumped off the bed, thinking he was done.

"Wait," Anna spoke up. "Isn't there some kind of…? Remedy, or cure for it? Anything at all?" she pressed, much more than petrified for her sister's safety and health.

Elsa moved her head slightly so that one eyes peeked at Grand Pabbie. Elsa's face was streaked with tears that already decided to flow, and she couldn't stop them. She didn't want to die. She wanted to live.

Grand Pabbie paused, turning, and thought about this. "There is only one cure for it. You will find it in sunless cave on the side of the darkest mountain. The only cure for her plague is to fine the Beauty Within. Remember youngsters, it does not matter who one is on the outside. What is on the inside is what counts."

As everyone tried to process this, their minds reeling from the conversation, Grand Pabbie rolled out of the room and left them.

"Wh-what does that mean?" Anna was the first to ask. Elsa had buried her face in her sister's arm again and was sobbing, making as little noise as she could. Still, she could be heard every now and then.

Man, being told you only have thirteen days to live unless you find this vague, mysterious item sucks.

No one could answer the question. Slowly, Elsa lifted her head. Suddenly, she gasped, her face lighting up a little bit. "I think I understand where you can find it!"

"Where? Where?" Anna demanded, staring down at Elsa.

Elsa beamed up at her little sister, since Anna was still standing beside Elsa's bed. "The darkest mountain. Not the North Mountain, not the Red Mountain, but the…" she trailed off, gesturing for Anna to finish.

Anna finally caught on, her face lighting up as well. "The Shadow Mountain!" she exclaimed, as Elsa nodded excitedly. "The Shadow Mountain is, in fact, the darkest mountain in Arendelle. It lies South of the Red Mountain, which is not all that red, and is much smaller. The sunlight barely ever reaches it since the Red Mountain blocks it, and when it does, it is dim. There must be some kind of cave on the southern part of it!" Anna explained to Kristoff quickly.

Kristoff smiled down at Anna as she got all excited again. "Oh, we have to leave soon! Very, very soon! The Shadow Mountain is about 5 days walking usually, plus we'll have dangers! We have to leave tomorrow!" she gasped at the realization.

"Of course you know I'm in, Sweetie," Kristoff said to his wife, making her beam at him. "And we'll need Sven, of course. And I'm sure Olaf will want to come."

Elsa struggled into a more upright sitting position, taking about half a minute to accomplish this feat. She grinned up at Anna. "Alright, I'm ready to go whenever you are."

A look of horror flashed across Anna's face as she quickly, but gently, pushed her surprised sister back down into a lay. "Oh, no, no, no! Elsa, you can't go out on a journey in this state! What will we do when you have an attack? You simply can't go!"

"What? Why not?" Elsa asked, her voice agitated and more than just a little frustrated.

"You're way too weak!" Anna blurted, before really considering if this is a good idea.

Anger flashed in Elsa's eyes at this. "I am _NOT_ weak!" she shouted, though it hurt her throat. Anna flinched, and Elsa sighed. "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for… What I mean to say is that this is my life at risk here. I want to be as helpful as I can…"

"I know that, Elsa… But I simply can't risk you dying before we even reach the Shadow Mountain…" Anna replied softly, her voice melancholy and sympathetic.

Elsa took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. She closed her eyes for a few moments before opening them again. "I guess you have a point there… Fine, I'll stay, but I'm not happy about it…"

Anna grinned again, and reached down, kissing her sister's cheek. "I know! But face it, you can't argue with me."

Elsa stared at her sister, but her eyes were tinged with playfulness. "Fine, I accept that I can't argue with you. But I can't very well stay in here for the possible last days of my life. Could you please ask the doctors if I'm allowed out? I'll even have a guard around me at all times in case something happens."

Anna sighed this time, and then nodded reluctantly. She nodded at Kristoff, and Kristoff slipped out of the room. Elsa's right hand had slid back down to Anna's hand, her left one lying limply on her lap.

What Anna didn't know, though, is that Elsa was thinking hard about what to do. Elsa's headache was ever-present, though, and it was slowing her thoughts greatly. She should have had a plan by now, but the plague is getting in the way of that.

It seemed like forever before Kristoff finally returned, bearing no evidence that he even had a talk with the doctors.

He walked over to where Anna was, taking her free hand in his, and kissing it lightly. He gave his focus then to Elsa. "They argued about the dangers, but I persuaded them after a while. They finally agreed, and they said that they will be working on shifts for the guards overnight, so that you will be up tomorrow in order to see us off. They were frustrated, but after a little bit, saw your point."

Elsa smiled up at Kristoff. "Good. Thank you, Kristoff."

"My pleasure," he replied, and Anna giggled at his formality.

"Come on Kristoff, we have to go pack!" she exclaimed, dragging him away. She led him out of the hospital, through the streets, and back into the castle. She rushed him into their room, where she commenced the short amount of packing. Kristoff sighed, knowing that there was no getting out of it now.

Even after Anna, Kristoff, and Sven left, Elsa stared at the doorway. A million thoughts were racing through her slightly-pounding head. _I have a plan,_ she thought to herself. _And Anna's not going to like it…_

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**_Thank you all for the wonderful reviews; they really mean a lot to me! This chapter reached over 2,000 words! Yay! I know that's still not a lot, but I promise on the existence of chocolate(Elsa's words :) ) that they will get longer the farther into it I get._**

**_But for now, fun time! As you can see in the summary, Elsa will fall in love with an OC. Now, I need YOUR help to think of a name for him! It will be decided when he is introduced, which will be soon. But until then, I would really highly appreciate your suggestions. Thank you and I hope to see you(and possibly your suggestion/review) soon! :)_**


	4. Chapter 4

_**First of all, I would like to dedicate this chapter to a reader who actually took the time to give me a nice, wonderful, and rather long review over PMs. This person is bandgeek63. Give a round of applause! :) Now, for the chapter.**_

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Anna walked outside of the castle gates holding a bag containing the clothes, now feeling a little bit uneasy about the trip ahead of her. So much could go wrong in so little time… Kristoff ran to catch up to her, and when he did, he placed one gloved hand on her shoulder, straightening his beanie with his other hand.

A bag of food hung from one of Kristoff's shoulders, and a couple of knives were slid into his belt in case he needed them. Anna also had a few knives of her own, which was an idea Kristoff wasn't too fond of at all.

The two walked together towards Sven, who was already attached to Kristoff's fine, latest model sled that he insisted they use. Olaf was bouncing in the back of the sled, shouting "Adventure!"

Anna couldn't help but giggle at Olaf. He was the strangest little snowman she'd ever seen. But to be fair, he was one of the only two talking snowmen there were.

Anna and Kristoff crossed over to where the sled was and placed their bags next to Olaf, who chuckled at them, apparently in a good mood. The married couple then proceeded to climb into the front of the sled, preparing to leave.

"Anna! Wait!"

The sound of her sister's voice caused Anna to whip around and watch her sister come close. Elsa was running as fast as she can, even though she was limping a little bit and panting hard from the disease. Anna's face lit up as Elsa came nearer.

Chasing after Elsa was a stern-looking guard with a bald head who seemed much more than upset that Elsa got away. When Elsa finally arrived, she basically collapsed onto Anna in a hug, her whole torso over the edge of the sled. When her guard realized nothing was wrong, he slowed to a walk.

"You be careful, okay?" Elsa whispered in her sister's ear, a few stray tears falling down her cheeks. She didn't want her baby sister to risk her life to save her. "Remember; don't talk to strangers unless they are completely unarmed. Only eat the food you've brought, in case of poison or something. Oh, and remember-"

"I'll be fine Elsa," Anna cut her off. Elsa pulled back a little bit to see that Anna was smiling, though her little sister did look like she was on the verge of tears. "I'll see you soon, okay?" she asked in a gentle voice.

"Okay…" Elsa replied, trying to hold back her tears so no more would come. Finally she stepped back, letting the guard take her arm and begin to drag her away. She still looked back to watch her sister leave, waving at the sled even though no one noticed. _Oh, you'll see me soon, alright. But much sooner than you think._

"Milady, you can't go off running like that," Elsa's guard said firmly, though he was smiling a little bit from witnessing the sisterly love.

Elsa hung her head a little bit before straightening again in the proper Queenly posture. "I know, I'm sorry. I just needed to see my sister one last time. I hope you excuse my disruption…"

The guard looked at her, and his smile widened a little bit, this time reaching his green eyes. "Ah, I understand. I have a sister as well. She was a single mother until her baby was lost. I know your feelings, for I had even put off work at times to comfort her. But please don't tell anyone that last little tidbit I said," he nearly begged, though his tone was still light.

Elsa moved her blue gaze to him, a small smile sprouting on her previously-saddened face. "I'm sorry about your sister and her child, but don't worry, that last part will be out little secret," she replied in a hushed voice, giving him a small wink.

They reached the castle again, and the guard led Elsa to her room. She sat on her bed, then lay down, and then began to roll on her bed out of boredom. She couldn't keep her mind off of Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven. She jumped into an upright position when she heard a shuffling of feet at her wide-open door.

Her previous guard had left and in his place stood a younger one. Elsa could only see his back though. Biting her lip, she stood up and walked over to him. "Um, excuse me, sir?" she tapped his shoulder, making him start.

Soon he calmed down, realizing it was just her. He turned around to face her, and she was met with a charmingly handsome face. His nose wasn't too long; his chin wasn't too sharp; and his cheekbones were beautifully placed upon his face. His black hair seemed so dark it looked like a raven's wing was attached to his head, and was brushed to the side in a perfect manner. His chin was raised, which Elsa found odd since when in the presence of royalty, you should always bow your head. He had a black eye patch over his right eye, and his eye patch was embroidered with a red 'X'. His left eye was a deep, get-lost-in-the-color blue that stared at Elsa with no expression visible.

Elsa gasped at the sight of his handsome face, but he didn't budge. Shaking herself back into reality, she decided to get back to her plan. "I don't like being cooped up in here like this… Is there any way I could go out and ride my horse, Blizzard? She's an exquisite mare. You can come along as well and ride another finely bred horse in the stables, so that you can keep an eye on me," she offered.

Her guard seemed to think about this, glancing away from Elsa for a few seconds, his blue eye calculating. "Alright, I guess that is fine. After all, I had no really specific orders. Just keep you from danger. Yes, that is what Jace said. I will take you to ride your horse around for a little while. Just don't stray too far, okay?"

"Of course not. I may be sick, but I value my life," Elsa teased slightly, brightened by the fact that her plan was running smoothly. The new guard linked his arm in Elsa's, which is formal for a guard to do when having to keep close watch, and she didn't argue. They walked out of the castle and to the stables together, neither one of them uttering a single word.

The guard followed Elsa to get her horse, and she tried to offer him a horse, but he just refused. "I have my own," he explained, and then he whistled. A beautiful horse with a soft cream coat and a white mark on her forehead came galloping in. "Ah, there you are Latte. You were out for a little run, now, weren't ya?"

The horse whinnied in response, and the guard led the way out of the stables with his horse in tow, Elsa following with Blizzard, her finely-bred white mare.

Both Elsa and her guard mounted their horses, and they led their mares into the open field. Flanking two sides of the field was a loose forest. On one side of the field was the sea, and on the other side was Arendelle. As soon as they reached the field, Elsa kicked her horse into a gallop and called out in happiness as Blizzard ran towards one side of the forest.

Her guard's eyes widened for a few seconds, and then he kicked Latte into a gallop as well. He chased after Elsa until Blizzard suddenly tripped and fell, Elsa flying off of her horse's back with a screech.

As soon as he was close, her guard slowed down Latte and hopped off, running towards the fallen Queen. "Your Majesty, are you alright?" he asked worriedly. Elsa sighed and stood up, seemingly fine except for a few scrapes on her arms.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm okay…" she muttered, upset at her plan failing. Blizzard, on the other hand, stood up and walked over to her, but was limping. The mare's front left leg seems to be sprained, or fractured.

Sullenly, Elsa began to lead her horse back to the stables. Her guard followed with his exquisitely-bred horse. The stable keepers took Blizzard immediately, but Elsa's guard stayed on his horse. "Come with me," he whispered before turning his horse around and having her trot back to the field.

Confused, Elsa followed, running to catch up.

When in the field, the guard looked around anxiously, his raven-black hair being windswept a little bit and even more adorable as he did. His blue eyes were filled with anxiety as he glanced back down at Elsa. "Hop on," he whispered. Elsa stared up at him, puzzled. When she didn't move, he sighed and reached down, grabbing her by the arms.

She gasped as she was lifted into the air and placed behind him on the horse. Latte walked a few steps forward before the guard made her stop.

"Wrap your arms around me for safety reasons," he told Elsa before even looking behind him. Elsa continued to stare at him quizzically; but still awkwardly wrapped her arms around him from behind. The guard kicked his horse into a gallop, and Elsa was surprised at how fast the mare could go while still riding smoothly.

The guard turned his mare to the forest, where the Red Mountain was visible. After a few minutes, Elsa finally pieced it together. Her eyes widened in surprise at the realization.

"Why are you helping me?"

"Something's telling me that it's the right thing to do," he replied. She tried to ask something, but he cut her off, holding his hand out to stop her. "Wait, let me explain. I'm not your ordinary person. I'd prefer not to go into detail quite yet, but for now, I will let you know that I have voices inside my head," he added, pointing to his head before returning both hands to his horse's reins.

Elsa thought about this for a few minutes. It seemed like an eternity had passed when she finally spoke up again. By now they were in the forest and heading towards the Red Mountain at a great speed. "What's your name?"

The guard glanced back at her momentarily, a tiny smile on his face. "Diablo. You should call me Diablo."

Elsa thought back to the Spanish lessons she had taught herself, and remembered diablo meaning devil. Her eyes widened. "Why would your parents name you Diablo?" she asked in a hushed voice.

"They didn't," Diablo answered in an end-of-discussion tone.

Elsa decided that he didn't want her to push it, so she decided not to. Eventually, she began to relax. She only coughed every twenty or so minutes, for no doubt the disease cells were readying themselves. Her next attack would be in two days. Quite honestly, she wasn't ready for it at all, but she had to live with it.

Diablo was the first one to break the awkward silence. "So, I heard that you have ice powers. Pretty cool, eh?"

Elsa couldn't help but smile at how he wasn't immediately afraid of her powers. "Yeah, I guess so," she replied, conjuring up a snowball and hitting a tree with it, as if proving her powers. Diablo gave a little laugh as Latte galloped faster, surprised at the sudden snowball.

"That's awesome," Diablo said, rubbing his mare's neck to soothe her. "So I, uh, heard there was a freeze recently. Actually, it's been all over the news lately."

"Still? Gosh, you'd think after five years things would die down a bit…"

"Nope. Back in Weselton, where I lived before moving to Arendelle, our Duke would try to call you a monster and a murderer," Diablo continued. Elsa flinched, but he didn't notice. "I didn't think that you were either of those things. I had been his top guard, but I left. His views were wrong and disturbing and I should know more than anyone else that what's on the outside doesn't matter," he added. He didn't give her a chance to speak up before he kept talking. "Don't ask why."

Elsa wanted to ask, but she did respect his unwillingness to tell, and she didn't want to push him. Gradually, she began to get used to her arms around his waist. It felt right there, somehow. Either that or this plague was really messing with her mind. She chose the latter.

"What about Arendelle?" she asked.

"Before my shift even came, my voice told me to tell your Prime Minister that he could temporarily be in charge of the kingdom if by any chance you escape. So I did, not wanting to question the voice. After all, it's never steered me wrong before."

Elsa nodded, though he couldn't see her. She attempted to distract herself with scenery, but her mind always wandered back to one haunting, melancholy, and concerned though. _Is Anna okay?_

* * *

**_I enjoy reading the reviews you all give me, for they really brighten my day. Now, I'd like to thank all of you in general for even taking the time to read my fanfiction. I appreciate all of you and I hope that you will possibly leave some more reviews. I am not forcing it upon you, I am just trying to express how much they brighten my day. Thank you all for your reviews :)._**


	5. Chapter 5

_**Thank you all for your wonderful reviews! They really do mean a lot to me, and I hope you keep posting, and if you have any criticism, that you post it in a constructive form :). Also, if this needs to be bumped up to Rated 'T' then please let me know. Thank you! :).**_

* * *

Anna looked behind her every half a minute to a minute, continuously chewing on her lip out of anxiety. Her bright blue eyes were nervous and she was rather fidgety, shifting her position every five minutes. The only thing keeping her from jumping out and sprinting back to Arendelle was Kristoff's large, strong hand in her smaller, frailer one. Not saying she's frail. Far from it, actually.

"Don't worry about her, Anna. She'll be fine," Kristoff assured his wife for probably the twentieth time within the past ten minutes. "We're going to go find this Beauty Within thing and then we can return, give it to her, and she'll be healthy again. But we can't find it unless you focus. Elsa needs you, Anna, and you have to be there for her. Except in this case, being there for her has a whole different meaning."

Anna sighed and slumped on the seat, slouching majorly, and therefore being completely un-princess-like. She didn't care though, and neither did Kristoff. "I guess you're right Kristoff… But I just can't get rid of this feeling that something's going to happen to her, is happening to her, or already has happened to her…"

Kristoff removed his left hand from Anna's right one and wrapped it around her shoulder instead, hugging her close. To imagine that this morning his wife had been reassuring Elsa that they'd be fine and now Anna was the one worrying seemed sort of silly. Even though it had happened.

"Oh, Kristoff! I just can't imagine what would happen if something does happen to her!' Anna suddenly sobbed, burying her face in her hands and leaning her body into her husband, her head on his chest. She gave a tiny smile through her tears at the sound of his heartbeat, strong and steady.

Kristoff just gave Anna a comforting squeeze and let her wet his shirt a little bit. "I know… Shh… Shh… I know… Everything will be okay… I promise…" he soothed her, his voice gentle and loving.

"How do you know?" Anna whispered, closing her eyes, her head still buried in Kristoff's strong chest.

Kristoff took a deep breath and let it out slowly, hesitating. Luckily for him, Anna didn't notice his hesitation. "I just do…" he finally breathed out. He put Sven's reins, which were in his hand, on the floor, placing his foot on it so it wouldn't fly out. Snowflakes gently began to fall as Kristoff held Anna close to him, wrapping both arms around her. He made gentle shushing sounds as she wept, gently stroking her hair with one gloved hand.

Anna nodded against him, but still didn't seem very convinced. Kristoff knew that he had failed when she pulled away a little bit just to look nervously behind them once again. Still, he decided not to try and change her worries. He figured that it would just encourage her to worry more.

Anna looked up at the sky, pulling completely out of Kristoff's hold. Kristoff removed his foot, grabbing the reins once more. Anna couldn't help but notice that the sky was starting to darken. She had this strange feeling in her gut that something wasn't right, but ignored it for now. She would fret about it later.

"Kristoff, we should go and try to find shelter for the night…" she finally said, her voice still a little shaky from tears. When she looked back at Kristoff, though, she noticed how there were quite a lot of snowflakes caught in his hair and on his beanie. She couldn't help but laugh; it reminded her of when they fell off the cliff and were going to the trolls.

The good parts of that time, anyways.

Kristoff glanced at Anna, then at the sky, and then back at Anna. "You're right. Nothing worse than being in a snowstorm at dark with a talking snowman."

Right on cue, Olaf jumped into the front of the sled, grinning as he plopped himself right between Kristoff and Anna. "Hey, Anna! Kristoff! Sven! Did you guys know that I didn't have toes? I didn't know that until today!" Olaf exclaimed, detaching one of his feet and holding it up for the princess and prince to see.

Anna and Kristoff glance at each other, but it's Anna that speaks up first, wiping her wet cheeks with her mittens. "No, Olaf, we didn't know that. Maybe we'll have to talk to Elsa about that's sometime!" she answered, trying to match his bubbly mood. Even so, she couldn't help but add mentally, _if Elsa lives through this…_

"We definitely have to!" Olaf agreed, chuckling, and placing his foot back where it belongs and then proceeding to swing his legs, even though they just hit and bounce off of the seat. "I miss Elsa," Olaf suddenly added with a sigh.

"Me, too…" Anna worked hard to fight back the tears that threatened to spill.

"Don't we all?" Kristoff said, and Sven even bleated in agreement. "But isn't that why we're going? To help Elsa get better?" he pointed out, and Anna took his hand once more in hers.

"Yeah…" Olaf replied. "I'm sure she'll get better, though! She just has to!" Olaf perked up again, smiling his goofy wide-mouthed smile again, all pains forgotten for now, even though he can't technically feel pain.

Anna grinned at Olaf, but it faded as a huge roar sounded. Anna jumped in surprise, her eyes darting around in fear. Just then, a ginormous bear emerged in front of them, making Sven skid to a stop. Everyone's eyes widened at the huge black thing. It roared again, and attempted to swipe at Sven.

Sven turned around and fled right in time, but the bear followed, making a ruckus as it crashed through the forest. "Faster, Sven!" Kristoff gasped, just narrowly missing being hit by the bear's huge paw.

"Shouldn't it be in hibernation?" Anna asked no one in particular.

"It should, but apparently it's not!"

It was then a game of chase-the-sled for the bear. The huge thing enjoyed its fun, taking its time, and playing with its food, as one would say. Anna quickly began to gather all the snow that had fallen onto the seat into a pile. Once she had a pretty decent-sized pile, she made a snowball out of it. Quickly, she turned and held it into the air.

Just as she was in mid-throw, the bear raised a great paw to swipe. The snowball flew out of her hand and towards the bear, but not before the paw slammed into her arm. She screeched in pain, and Kristoff glanced at her worriedly.

"Anna, sit down!" he called over the blood pounding in his ears. Like a dog, Anna obeyed, sitting down and facing forward again, cradling her right arm with tears stinging at her eyes. The pain burned up her arm and spread through nearly her whole body, and she cursed under her breath. "Are you alright?" Kristoff asked without looking at her, too focused on escaping the large predator chasing them.

"No!" Anna screamed over the storm that had steadily increased. She hoped for dear life that it wasn't because something was happening to Elsa, and that it was natural.

* * *

Elsa was becoming a little tired, and she rested her forehead on Diablo's back. Diablo stiffened a little bit when she did, but didn't resist. Slowly, he began to relax again. Elsa enjoyed the cold; the wind was like a soothing lullaby to her.

"You can sleep, if you want," Diablo suddenly spoke up, making Elsa raise her head. Once she processed his words, she rested her forehead against his strong back once again, nodding against his warmth. She hoped her hands weren't too cold for him.

Gradually, Elsa fell into a sleep, her fatigue caused by the plague taking over her body and mind.

_Elsa jerked awake, looking around nervously. She began to calm down as she realized she was in a dream. Her mouth curled into a small smile. She liked when she had dreams. She loved being able to control them. In this dream, she was in the forest again. It seemed rather dull to her, so she decided to change it up. Her smile widening, she had a family of white bunnies hop out of the undergrowth, even though that would never be able to happen._

_Most creatures didn't like the winter. That's why bears would hibernate, squirrels would burrow, and birds would migrate. Still, it was her dream and she could do what she wanted with it._

_Elsa crouched down as the family of four rabbits jumped over to her. She reached down and stroked one of the baby ones, her grin now soft as the rabbit rubbed up against her. "Hello there, little one," she spoke to it._

_The moment she began to speak, all four bunnies vanished. Elsa sighed, and stood up, hugging herself, which was a habit from her isolation. Old habits die hard. Especially when you're reminded of why you did it in the first place._

_"__Elsa!" the Queen was surprised at her younger sister's voice. Elsa perked up immediately as Anna stood there, running towards her. Elsa enveloped Anna in a big hug, smiling once again. But the very second she gave Anna a comforting squeeze, Anna dissolved into snow. Elsa jumped back, gasping in surprise, as her sister became nothing more than a pile of snow._

_"__Anna? Anna! Anna!" she called, searching the snow desperately. Then, just like that, her sister was standing over her again, one gloved hand on Elsa's shoulder. "Anna!" Elsa jumped in surprise, leaping to her feet and taking her younger sister's hands in her, not trusting herself to hug Anna._

_Anna smiled at her big sister. "Hi, Elsa."_

_Elsa's hopes skyrocketed. When they did, though, Anna's eyes suddenly widened. "Elsa, help!" Anna called as her hands flew to her throat. Elsa screeched in horror as her younger sister fell to the ground, suffocating._

_Elsa knelt beside her sister immediately. "Anna? Anna, what's happening? What's wrong with you?" she whispered, tears streaming down her white cheeks._

_Just like that, dream-Anna's breathing ceased and her body disappeared. Elsa called after her little sister, now fully sobbing, when a very familiar scream sounded._

_"__Elsa! Elsa, help me!"_

_Elsa jumped onto her feet and sprinted in the direction of the voice, desperate to reach Anna. She screamed her younger sister's name, and Anna would screech in return. Then, after Elsa was completely lost, Anna's voice fell silent. It had felt like eternity when one last, dying, blood-curdling scream sounded._

Elsa jolted awake, breathing heavily and trying to make sense of her surroundings. Diablo was there, and it was snowing. She looked around, and just then realized that Diablo was cradling her against himself, staring down at her with concern filling his gaze.

"You had a nightmare," he said, in the form of a statement rather than a question. She nodded, trying to fight back the tears. "You were thrashing around and calling for your little sister," he added as he gently turned and placed her behind him again. Shakily, she wrapped her arms around him once again. "And then there was a loud-"

He was cut off by the same horrible scream that Elsa heard in her dream, right before it ended. "Anna!" Elsa screamed, as Diablo kicked Latte in a full gallop in the direction of the scream.

* * *

Anna's arm was searing, feeling as if it was being stung by a thousand wasps over and over again.

Kristoff was glancing at her worriedly every few seconds, wishing he knew what to say. Sven bleated in horror as they reached a dead end; a wall of thorny bushes that they couldn't quite get through. The sled was thrown to the side and just barely missed slamming into the bushes. The bear stopped, panting, and one giant paw flew into the air.

It seemed as if time had slowed down to Anna. Her heart was beating a mile a minute as she saw the end of her life coming towards her like butterflies in the garden would. She then suddenly caught a glimpse of a cream horse, a devilishly handsome man, and right behind him-

"Elsa!?"


	6. Chapter 6

Elsa's eyes widened at the sight of the bear cornering her sister and friends. Latte skidded to a halt, and the moment the horse was stopped, Elsa catapulted off of her back. Elsa then took in the bear completely, freezing in terror for a split second. Then, right as the bear's claws were about to connect with her sister, Elsa held one hand out, furious, sharper-than-a-knife ice shooting out of her hand. It hit the bear's back, making its way inside to its heart.

The bear roared in shock, its paw falling as it stumbled to the side and collapsed on the ground. The moment it was out of the way, Elsa sprinted towards her sister, coughing the slightest bit along the way. Her deep blue eyes were panicked and it felt like her heart had dropped down to her stomach.

At her terrified speed, Elsa reached the sled within seconds. "Anna!" she screeched, the first thing she said to her sister since they departed, unless you could count the nightmare. She immediately wrapped her arms around her baby sister.

Anna gasped in pain as Elsa squeezed her arm. Elsa immediately pulled back. "Anna, are you hurt? What's wrong? Where's the pain?" she demanded, then noticed the blood on her sister's arm. She took in a sharp breath, carefully taking her Anna's injured right arm in her own cold ones. "What happened?" she whispered even though she already knew. It was the bear.

"Elsa, what are you doing here?" Anna had finally managed to swallow her initial shock and now was feeling frustration. "I thought you were going to stay home at Arendelle."

"If I had, then look what would have happened to you…" Elsa whispered, tears beginning to form in her blue eyes as she imagined it. She felt a hand on her shoulder but didn't have to look up to know that it was Diablo.

Anna flicked her gaze up to Diablo and was now staring at him skeptically. "Elsa, my arm's fine, I promise. But… Who's he?"

Elsa glanced up at Diablo, swallowing her tears. She gently put her sister's arm back, where Anna immediately cradled it with her left one. Elsa just now realized that Anna didn't know Diablo. Stupid plague. "Oh, uh… He's my guard… He helped me come after you four. If it weren't for him, you all would be dead now. His name is Diablo."

Diablo took a step back and formally bowed to Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf. Olaf was immediately thrilled at the chance to meet new friends. "Hi! I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs!" the snowman squealed, hopping out of the sled and latching himself onto Diablo's legs.

Diablo stared down at the talking snowman hugging his legs, surprise and confusion on his face.

"Sorry, you're new to Arendelle, aren't you? Um, Diablo, meet Olaf," Elsa introduced, but couldn't keep a small smile off her face when Diablo tried and failed to shake Olaf off. "You'll get used to him. Olaf, I don't think Diablo wants a hug right now," she told the snowman, who hopped off of Diablo's legs, looking sullen. "But I'll take one," Elsa added with a smile.

Elsa crouched down and opened her arms up as Olaf bounced over to her and hugged her happily. Diablo couldn't help but grin down at the two.

"Elsa, you still shouldn't have come out here when you're sick," Anna pointed out, clearly still upset. Elsa sighed and detached herself from Olaf, standing up to look at her sister. "There are dangers. I really don't want to risk your safety like this…"

Elsa placed one hand on her sister's uninjured left arm. "Anna, can we please not talk about this?" she asked, her eyes pleading. "Besides, I'm fine right now, aren't I?"

It was Anna's turn to sigh now. "I guess, but I'm still not happy about it… Grand Pabbie said that your next attack will be two days from now. We have to be prepared… I don't want to lose you Elsa…"

Elsa smiled at her little sister, a gentle, sort of sad smile. "I'm not going anywhere, Anna… I promise…"

Elsa then pulled Anna into another hug, being wary of her younger sister's right arm. It was mid-hug when Elsa gasped, her legs slipping out from underneath her. With only one arm, Anna gasped as well, but couldn't hold her big sister up. Elsa slid to the floor, confused.

"Elsa, what happened?" Anna asked, worried.

"I-I don't know… My legs just gave way…" Elsa replied, equally puzzled. She placed a hand on the edge of the sled and tried to pull herself up again. When she stood, she just immediately fell again, flinching as pain shot up her legs.

Diablo watched with quiet curiosity mixed with concern. "The disease cells must be building up quicker than the troll you guys were talking about thought. I-I think she might actually be having an attack now…"

As soon as Diablo finished, Elsa screamed, a sudden pain crashing into her head like a hammer. She curled up on the ground, clutching her head in agony.

"We have to go. Now. We need to get there quickly," Kristoff suddenly spoke up, his eyes wide with worry. "Anna, we can get a bandage for your arm later. But right now, I really think we have to go."

Anna nodded and sat down, not having noticed that she had stood up. For the first time, Kristoff realized that his wife was on the verge of tears. Gently, he wrapped one arm around her. Olaf hopped back into the back of the sled.

Diablo reached down cautiously and gently picked up the screeching, pained Queen up off of the ground. Elsa didn't even notice. With difficulty, Diablo climbed back up onto Latte. The horse seemed more than a little disturbed by the screams, but didn't protest.

Elsa's hands were still on her head, considering this attack was much worse than the first one. Due to this, it began to snow a whole lot heavier, the wind howling as if it was voicing her pain more than she was. As a huge pain smashed into her skull, she gulped in a huge breath and her hands flew from her head. They clutched onto the first thing they could find, which happened to be Diablo's waist. She desperately needed anchorage, to help her out of this attack.

Her hands were squeezing Diablo's flesh, but he didn't care. It was his duty to protect the Queen at all costs, and if she needed something to hold on to, he'd be there for her. Involuntarily, Elsa puked on his official guard jacket.

Diablo was slightly disgusted, but he still held onto her body, cradling her as if she was a child. Elsa's eyes were squeezed shut as tight as they could go, tears managing to squish their way out and fall gently down her cheeks like a mini-waterfall. Diablo held Elsa a little closer, making sure not to get her dress dirty in the vomit.

"Ew," Anna commented when she saw the throw up. Diablo glanced up at her with a stern look before returning his gaze to Elsa.

Finally, he found the courage to speak. "Shh… Shh… It's going to be okay… I promise… You'll be alright…" he whispered soothingly. It took a minute for the sound of his voice to reach her, and when it did, she stiffened.

Her screams were stifled as she realized she was being carried, though the pain inside her head was still excruciating.

"Wait…" Kristoff said suddenly. "If her heart is being attacked, then why is it her head that seems to be hurting the most?" he asked, staring at Elsa, confused. He should be keeping his gaze ahead of him, where Sven was going, but right now he had to watch his sister-in-law. Latte was keeping up easily with Sven, even with Diablo and Elsa on her back.

"Easy," Diablo breathed out, giving Elsa a comforting squeeze as her trying to hold back her shrieks caused her to start wheezing. "The plague is targeting the nerve connections to her head, in an attempt to render her too useless to find help and fight it off. Lucky thing we're here," he explained, his one-eyed gaze never leaving the Queen. Behind his eye patch, his right eye blinked, and a single, red drop of blood fell from it, even though his left eye was clear, with no sign of tears.

The small drop of blood didn't make it very far, though, and therefore was concealed by his eye patch. He breathed a sigh of relief as he felt it stop, having worried a little bit about it showing. Suddenly, Elsa stopped fidgeting and screaming, since she had started again.

Everyone's gaze was on Elsa now; even Sven stole quick glances. "She's unconscious," Diablo confirmed, feeling her relax in his arms. Everyone else seemed to relax as well, glad that Elsa wasn't screeching anymore. "We should go faster…" he suggested, and Kristoff nodded. As Diablo kicked Latte into a gallop, still holding tightly onto Elsa, Kristoff called to Sven. Both mounts sped up considerably, heading ever closer to the Red Mountain.

Diablo couldn't help but glance down at Elsa every ten or so seconds. He was extremely worried about her. After all, the troll might have been wrong about another thing. What if they were wrong about which attack would kill her?

Diablo tightened his hold on the Queen even more at this thought. No,_ he thought to himself. I cannot fail her majesty. I will not let her die on my watch…_

A few hours had passed when Latte jumped over a fallen, leafless tree, making Diablo and Elsa bounce. Diablo stiffened, tightening his hold on Elsa once more. They hadn't been able to stop yet, so there was still puke on his jacket, but he didn't really care.

The bump had almost made him drop the Queen. Now, that would have been awful. Not five minutes after Latte hopped the log, Elsa slowly began to stir. Diablo's eyes widened; she wasn't supposed to wake up yet. Her body was supposed to be recovering after the attack. Elsa froze as the realization hit her once again that she was being carried.

Elsa's eyes flung open and she fixed her deep blue gaze on Diablo, her gaze startled. Her eyes travelled down and saw the barf on his jacket. Her eyes widened as a blush crept onto her white cheeks, remembering what had happened vaguely. She flinched, her face now flushed scarlet-red. "I-I…" she tried, but failed to speak.

Diablo just grinned down at her, calm now that he realized she might be growing stronger against the attacks. "Morning, sunshine," he teased slightly, even though it was the middle of the night. "We're just searching for shelter so we can rest. So far, no luck. After you blacked out, we figured that we had to get going. The troll had been wrong about the timing though. Your attack came two days early," he explained, making Elsa even redder.

"I'm sorry…" was all she was able to choke out, mortified now. Diablo held a finger to her lips, shushing her gently before taking his hand away. Elsa struggled, attempting to sit up so that he could put her behind him again, but she didn't quite have enough strength left. Diablo shifted her in his arms so that she was more comfortable.

"Don't worry Sweetheart, I don't mind carrying you. I had been lifting two hundred-fifty pound objects during training in Weselton. Trust me, compared to that you weigh no more than a puppy," he said with a smile. He had nearly panicked when she had an attack… What would he have done if it was her fifth attack?

He pushed the thought out of his mind as Elsa gave a small smile, the embarrassment slowly leaving her face. She glanced at his jacket, biting her lip. "Here, I think I might be able to help…" Lifting one hand, she shot a small amount of magic. It ended up just freezing his whole jacket. "Oh, god I'm sorry!" she apologized quickly. She thawed the ice, leaving the previously dried vomit wet again. "I'm just making things worse now, aren't I?" Elsa muttered, burying her face in her hands. The snowstorm had calmed down to only a few snowflakes every now and then.

Diablo gave a small laugh at Elsa "Don't worry, I've got it. You're fine, don't fret," he reassured her. Leaving one hand around Elsa, his other one moved to the hem of his jacket. He easily slipped the black piece of clothing off before throwing it into the back of the sled, where Olaf stared at it curiously.

Elsa's blush quickly returned as she realized that Diablo was now shirtless. She couldn't help but stare at his muscles, but forced herself to look away before she got too embarrassed to breathe. Instead, she swallowed her embarrassment, even though her cheeks were still sort of tinged red. "But what about the cold?"

Diablo grinned down at Elsa, his one visible eye bright and warm. "Don't worry about it; I have a feeling I will be just fine," he answered. Rather, the answer had been that of the voice in his head, but it was still kind of his.

Elsa nodded, thinking about another excuse to have him put his jacket back on, since she didn't want to be caught staring at his handsome abs. When she finally came up with one, she opened her mouth to speak.

Once again, Diablo placed his finger over her mouth. "Shh…" he quieted her. "It's okay… Just lean into me. I don't want you to fall," he whispered softly. His eyes portrayed concern and warmth, but there was much more than that going on behind his facial mask.

Elsa locked eyes with him, and gave a small nod. Gently and cautiously, she let herself press against his open chest, letting out a small breath at his warmth. Self-consciously she thought about how she must look like a mess. Even through her thoughts, she was surprised when Diablo reached down and planted a soft kiss on her forehead.

Secretly, she enjoyed the feeling of his lips on her skin. She didn't say anything, though. She was determined not to jump to conclusions. Suddenly, a memory triggered. She frowned up at him, trying to remember clearly. "When I asked if your parents gave you the name Diablo, you said they didn't, right?"

"Yes."

"Well… What name did they give you?"

Diablo's eyes had returned to in front of them as he kept his gaze focused, searching for shelter. He didn't even look down when he answered. "They named me Xavier."

* * *

_**Yay! My longest chapter yet! :D. Some secrets about Diablo revealed in this chapter c:. I hope that some of you leave a purdy little review, as they always make me smile. I'm not forcing anyone into anything, though. And, let me just say... Oh gosh, it was amazing writing the first Elsablo/Elsavier moment of the fanfiction! I know it's still pretty early, but to be honest, I think I made Diablo a little too charming... xD. Not to mention I finally made a cover for tghe fanfiction! :D**_

_**Onto our next topic, I'd like your opinion! Which shipping name do you prefer: Elsablo or Elsavier? **_


	7. Chapter 7

Eventually, Elsa nodded off again, still leaned into Diablo's warmth. She wasn't sure what to call him now that she knew his real name, but she didn't want to accidentally call him his real name, possibly bringing back a memory or something of the sort.

Diablo smiled kindly down at the sleeping Elsa who was still in his arms. He wanted to keep her there because it would probably be easier for her to get comfortable. Plus, he enjoyed the feeling of her dove-like, cold-yet-warm body against him. Her mouth was slightly open and she was snoring a little bit, her snores gentle, soft, and comforting. She probably didn't know that she snored. He wouldn't be the one to tell her.

One of Elsa's arms was out, resting on the side of Latte's neck. Quite honestly, in this position, she looked like a fallen ice angel. His smile widened at how closely the description fit her. It was around midnight now, and everyone was completely exhausted.

Suddenly Anna jumped in her seat. "Look over there! A house! Maybe the person who lives there will let us stay?" she suggested. Yes, there was a small house in the middle of the forest. It wasn't extremely big, but it seemed big enough. Pushed by the thought of a rest Sven and Latte sped towards it as quickly as they could, Latte being graceful even in full gallop.

They reached the beige house within a matter of a minute or two. Anna hopped out of the sled with Olaf, ignoring her broken arm for now. Kristoff climbed out after them, unhooking Sven from the sled. Diablo carefully climbed off of Latte. Elsa stirred a tiny bit, making Diablo freeze, but then she fell back asleep and he relaxed again.

The four humans, reindeer, horse, and talking snowman approached the door eagerly. Anna knocked on it with her left hand, her right one hanging limply at her side. It was numbed a little bit from the cold, thankfully. Anna, of course, used her signature 5-note knock, making Kristoff grin a little bit to himself.

There was a scuffling of feet inside, and the door opened, revealing a woman looking to be around 19; still sort of a girl, really. She had dark circles under her eyes, and Anna immediately regretted waking her up. The girl's eyes widened at the bizarre sight.

"Who are you?" she asked, her voice hushed.

"Oh, well, I'm Anna. This is Kristoff, Sven, Latte, Olaf, and Diablo's over there, carrying Elsa," Anna introduced everyone, pointing to them in turn. The girl stared at Olaf for a few seconds before returning her gaze to Anna.

"You seem weary. Come inside, I have tea. You can explain then, but for now, I'd prefer not to have you freeze."

Everyone shuffled inside uneasily except for Sven and Latte, Diablo taking great care to sidestep as to not hit Elsa on the doorframe. Inside, it seemed clean and neat. In a corner was a crib holding triplets. The girl beckoned the party into another room, where she made steaming cups of tea. She handed one to Anna, one for Kristoff, and one for Diablo. Olaf had kindly refused one, feeling sort of shy.

The girl took one for herself and gestured towards a large table, where everyone sat down. Diablo was still carrying Elsa, refusing to let her out of his grasp. In her diseased state, she would probably sleep deeper than usual. Diablo also made sure that he didn't squish Elsa when he sat. He had one arm wrapped around her now, gently shifting her so she was propped up against his bare chest. She didn't even stir. With his other hand, he quietly sipped his tea.

"Thank you," Anna said before the silence between them got too long or awkward.

The girl simply nodded, observing everyone closely. "Is that snowman… Alive?" was the first thing she uttered, narrowing her eyes at Olaf.

"Yes, I am. I'm Olaf, and I like warm hugs," Olaf greeted her, refraining from hugging her due to fatigue. "And you are…?" he asked, wanting to know her name.

"My name is Phoebe. The three babies you saw in the living room are my younger brothers. Their names are Caesar, Flynn, and Drake. My mother, uh, passed away during the birth, so I've kind of had to take care of them since…" Phoebe replied. She had light brown hair and gray eyes, glancing down at her cup of tea.

Anna placed her mug on the table and reached over, letting her left hand rest on Phoebe's arm for a few seconds. That was the only courage she needed to not cry.

Phoebe's eyes passed over Kristoff and Anna, focusing on Diablo's face. He resisted the urge to flinch under her dull gaze, trying not to wake Elsa. When Phoebe's eyes traveled downwards and rested on the sleeping Elsa, Diablo tightened his hold on her. "Is she your lover?" Phoebe inquired, her eyes lingering on Elsa. They narrowed slightly as she observed the young Queen, not knowing she was in the presence of royalty.

Diablo's left eye widened visibly and he accidentally flinched. Glancing down at Elsa and making sure she was still asleep, he returned his attention to Phoebe. "N-no… She's not. I-I just… It's just I'm her… Her guard, I guess," he stuttered, completely flustered.

Phoebe cocked her head to the side slightly as Elsa didn't even begin to move at the sound of his voice. She soundlessly stood up and crossed over to the two. Diablos stiffened, but she didn't notice. She carefully placed one hand upon Elsa's forehead, feeling it. "She's cold. Shall I go fetch a blanket for her?"

Diablo just now realized that Elsa's coldness made his arms numb. But he liked it; it felt like a good chill to him. "No, no. Thank you, but that will not be necessary…"

Phoebe moved her hand down and gently touched one of Elsa's hands, gasping and jumping back at the temperature. "But, she's freezing!" she exclaimed, then remembered Elsa was sleeping and covered her mouth with one hand, her gray eyes wide and full of concern. Elsa didn't budge, though. Luckily.

"Don't worry about her. She's completely fine, I promise. It's… It's normal," Diablo was at a loss for words. Phoebe stared at him in disbelief, a frown on her face. "Long story short, Elsa has powers. Ice powers, that is." Phoebe looked down at Elsa, gawking at the sleeping Queen. "She was born with them," Diablo added.

This time, Phoebe nodded, understanding finally. "That's… Odd," she struggled now to find her words. "Why isn't she waking?" she asked, still staring at Elsa, but this time with confusion and puzzlement on her bright yet pale face.

Diablo switched his gaze to Elsa once more as he hugged her a little closer, glad that Phoebe hadn't yet asked about his shirtless-ness. "She's, uh… Well, she's ill. She has a strange plague that is trying to destroy her heart. It attacks her every few days. I mean, it's not exactly heart attacks, but still… A troll told us that the only antidote was in the 'sunless cave on the darkest mountain' so we're heading towards the Shadow Mountain. The troll called it the 'Beauty Within' so we're not sure what we're looking for… She had an attack earlier, so she's nearly unconscious. Nearly."

Phoebe nodded once more. "Well, you all are welcome to stay in my house for the rest of the night," she replied, taking a pot of stew out of her fridge. She poured it into four different bowls, warming them up.

"Thank you," Anna breathed, relieved.

"Your hospitality really means a lot to us," Kristoff commented in addition.

Phoebe passed out the four bowls, giving Diablo two. "In case she wakes up, I'm giving you an extra one," she explained, making him smile gratefully.

Everyone began to hungrily eat except for Phoebe, who sat back down and kept her gaze focused on Diablo. He noticed, but just chose to ignore it. That is, until she spoke up. "What happened to your eye?"

Diablo froze as everyone turned to look at him except for Elsa, who was still passed out in his arms. Self-consciously, he placed his spoon back in his bowl and, with his right hand, reached up and brushed his fingers along his eye patch. "O-oh… That silly thing…" Almost everyone leaned in closer to hear his answer. "I, uh, got attacked… By a wolf… Yeah, that sounds credible, right?" he replied, that last part quietly and to himself.

_You're wrong;_ the voice inside of his head told him. He gave a small sigh and decided to ignore it for now as memories flashed through his head.

* * *

_"__Xavier, my charming little nephew… I will demand this of you once. Join me. We will take over Weselton, and then Arendelle… And then the Southern Isles… And then so many more! People will cower in the sight of us! We will rule all!" the voice of his uncle sounded through his head._

_"__No… No… No!" his own voice flitted through his head in response. An image of him crouching on the floor in pain flashed up. Just as his uncle raised his hand, and then… The shadow._

* * *

Diablo began to tremble, but was snapped back into reality by a spoon clattering onto the floor.

"Oh, no! I'm so sorry!" Anna exclaimed, bending and picking it back up with her left hand. She was blushing in embarrassment at her clumsiness, though Diablo was mentally thanking her before the worst of the flashback came.

Phoebe smiled at Anna, a gentle smile on her face. "Don't worry, it's okay," she reassured the distressed princess, walking to the kitchen and coming back with another spoon. Anna accepted it, thanking Phoebe, and handed the girl the dirty spoon.

Everyone proceeded to eat in silence. Diablo was the first one done, but Elsa still hadn't woken up. Phoebe silently took his bowl away, with him dipping his head in thanks. She also took the full bowl that was meant for Elsa, placing foil over it and setting it in her fridge to keep it fresh until the next day. "Come," Phoebe instructed. Diablo carefully stood up, taking great care to gently shift Elsa into a more comfortable position for both of them.

He followed Phoebe, keeping his gaze mostly on Elsa but flicking it up every now and then to make sure he didn't run into a wall or something of the sort.

"Unfortunately, I only have two free bedrooms. I suppose your other friends could share one, if you don't mind sharing one with Elsa," Phoebe suggested. Diablo flushed red at the suggestion, but forced his embarrassment down.

"Uh, yeah. I guess that'll work…" he replied, praising himself silently on not letting this mortification show in his voice. Phoebe let him down a hall and pointed to the room in the very back, on the left side. "Thank you," he breathed out to her, and she gave him a small smile before retreating to check on her other guests. Diablo walked to the room and adjusted his grip on Elsa so that he could open it.

Inside, it was painted a light blue color, with a single bed, a desk, and a dresser. The carpet looked soft, and was a regal combination of royal red and emerald green. It didn't take an expert to guess that this had been Phoebe's mother's room. That probably explained why she didn't want to enter it. Bad memories were annoying, and Diablo should know that more than anyone else.

He cautiously entered it, sidestepping in, and walked over to the one bed. It was a king-sized bed, meant for two.

Carefully, Diablo set Elsa down on the bed. She stirred slightly, but remained asleep, or so he thought. He removed the blankets from underneath her and tucked her in, even though she didn't need the blankets. He smiled softly down at her.

Suddenly, her eyes fluttered open. She still looked tired, though. She seemed confused for a few seconds, having been used to Diablo's body holding her. She gave a small smile at the sight of him. "Hi," she murmured, her voice hushed.

"Hey," Diablo replied, his own smile growing a little bit. "I'll be able to explain everything later on. For now, we found someone to stay with. You need to try to get back to sleep, okay?"

Elsa nodded, but rolled onto her side, watching as he lay down on the comfy carpet floor, still shirtless. She furrowed her eyebrows, confused. "Why you sleepin' down there?" she asked, still fatigued by the disease. He looked at her in puzzlement. "I wouldn't want this huge bed all to myself… Come on up here. I don't want you to get cold."

Diablo hesitated, but then Elsa scooted over, patting the bed next to her sleepily. He sighed, giving in, and climbed under the blankets as well. He tried hard to hide the blush on his cheeks.

"This is an act of queenly hospitality for her subjects. Nothing more, right?" he asked, glancing at Elsa.

She just smiled wearily at him, her smile gentle. "If you say so."

* * *

_**This was a sort of fun, yet sort of boring at the same time chapter to write. Sorry it took longer than usual, I was babysitting my little sister x-x. Anyways, I'd really appreciate some reviews on this chapter :). I'll also try to fit in Chapter 8 today as well cx.**_


	8. Chapter 8

Elsa sighed as her body demanded to be woken up the next morning. She slowly began to move, but then froze. Her eyes popped open and she blushed in embarrassment. She realized that she had somehow snuggled up against Diablo during the night, and now they were basically wrapped around each other. Her blush increased considerably when she realized that one of his arms was resting casually on her hip, his other arm underneath her. It became worse when she suddenly felt his bare chest under one of her hands, the other one on the arm that was connected to the hand on her hip.

Somehow, her embarrassment alerted him. He groaned, opening his tired eyes. She stared at him, her eyes wide. Diablo finally noticed the positions they were in and how close they were and his eyes opened wide as well. They looked at each other, not knowing what to say or do. Then suddenly, they both got the same idea. At the same time, they sprang away from each other, sitting up and staring at one another. The only difference was that Elsa uttered an involuntary scream as she did.

Elsa was met with the wall while Diablo had almost fallen off. Luckily, though, he stayed on. Their faces matched each other, blushes scarlet red and looks of horror in their eyes.

"That never happened, right?" Diablo asked, his one visible eye still locked with Elsa's beautiful ones.

"Right…"

Elsa and Diablo just manage to pull themselves together enough so that when Phoebe came by, they were relaxed again. They turned to look at Phoebe, and Phoebe's eyes widened a tiny bit when she saw Elsa awake.

She ran over and held her hand out formally, making Elsa smile. "You're finally awake. I had been worried when I first saw you. Anyways, I'm Phoebe," she introduced herself as Elsa took her hand and shook it, her hold soft yet firm.

"Nice to meet you, Phoebe. I'm Elsa, as you've probably heard," Elsa replied, smiling gently at the girl. Phoebe returned the favor, and then jumped as she remembered something.

"Oh! You must be hungry!" she exclaimed quickly. For the first time, Elsa noticed that her stomach actually was growling a little bit. Phoebe beckoned for them to follow her and led them into the kitchen, where Anna and Kristoff were already sitting at the table, Olaf bouncing into a chair.

Elsa sat down next to Anna, Diablo choosing a seat as far away from Elsa as he could get. Neither of them was quite over the awkward moment they had shared earlier, and were glad for the distance, if only for a short while. Anna and Kristoff were already chewing on waffles, and Phoebe brought two plates of waffles over to Elsa and Diablo. They thanked her, and she gave them a small smile.

Kristoff was the first one done, walking over and placing his plate in the sink. He thanked Phoebe, and she nodded in response. Kristoff then took off down the hall, no doubt to start to pack, getting ready to leave. Anna finished next. "Meet me in the room Kristoff and I slept in," she whispered to Elsa as she passed. Elsa was confused, but just ate faster so that she could talk to her sister.

She dipped her head to Phoebe in thanks before hurrying down the hall to a room with an open door. She peeked inside, and sure enough Anna was in there. Elsa walked in and crossed over to the bed, sitting down next to her younger sister.

They remained silent for a few minutes before Elsa finally decided to speak up. "What did you want to talk about?" she asked, getting an uneasy feeling for some reason.

"What's going on between you and the cutie?"

Elsa's eyes widened and she could feel the hint of a blush creeping onto her cheeks. "D-Diablo? What do you mean? He's my guard. There's nothing more than that."

Anna broke into a wide grin, her eyes gleaming. "Oh come on, Elsa. I saw how you two were snuggled together all close overnight," she smirked, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Elsa tried to play it innocent, hoping that her embarrassment wasn't too obvious. It was pretty obvious.

"Don't act like you don't know. You like him, don't you?" Anna's grin widened even more at the thought. "You like him! You do! I see the way he looks at you, and the way you return his looks. You like him!"

Elsa had a look of pure horror and mortification on her face. "N-no, I don't! W-we're just… Just friends. That's all."

Anna wouldn't give up, though. "You totally like him! I didn't know you would find someone that you actually liked! I'm not saying you're heartless or anything, but I'm saying that I thought you just weren't into that kind of stuff."

"I wasn't- I-I mean… I'm not…" Elsa stuttered, at a loss for words. She was blushing scarlet red, feeling about ten times beyond humiliated by now.

"Elsa's in love! Elsa's in love!" Anna began to chant.

Elsa's eyes widened even more and her blush increased, if that was even possible. Quickly, she covered her sister's mouth with her hand, her eyes darting around nervously. "Shut _up _Anna!" Elsa hissed, but this just encouraged Anan to try and do it even louder. Elsa thought she had won when suddenly she felt a pain in her hand. She jerked it away, seeing a tiny bit of blood on her hand. "You bit me!"

Anna just smiled at her big sister. "Yeah. You don't taste very good. Now, where was I? Oh, yeah. Elsa's in love!" she started again, smiling widely.

Without another thought, Elsa flicked her hand at her sister, and Anna's lips were frozen solid. Anna's eyes widened with surprise as she tried to keep talking, but all that came out was a series of hums. Crossing her arms, Anna glared at her big sister, making Elsa giggle.

Elsa hid it behind her hand, though, like she had at her coronation when the Duke of Weselton's toupee had fallen.

Anna uttered three noises that sounded like 'bot tummy'. This just made Elsa laugh even more, breaking out into almost full-on laughter. She was in love, all right. In love with her sister's crazy, entertaining antics.

That is, until Anna's foot connected with Elsa's stomach. "Oomph!" Elsa breathed out, suddenly serious again. She still had the tiniest smile on, though. "So what if I do have a few feelings for him… It would never work out," she admitted with a sigh, her eyes on the ground. Anna perked up that she had been right, but her spirits sunk again at her sister's words. "After all, he's my _guard_ for crying out loud… He would never be able to wed me… Not that he'd want to. He might think I'm a monster, for all I know…"

Anna placed one of her hands on Elsa's shoulder. Elsa met her sister's gaze again. Anna didn't have to smile; it was shown in her eyes. Her eyes portrayed encouragement and faith as Anna pulled Elsa in for a hug. Elsa enjoyed her sister's warmth for a few seconds before pulling back and gently thawing Anna's lips.

Luckily, Anna didn't continue her chant. Instead, Anna just smiled at her sister. 'It will be okay. Have faith for once, Elsa. Don't be a pessimist," she chided softly, her smile widening a little bit.

"Thank you," Elsa breathed, pulling her younger sister in for one last hug. Maybe, just maybe, she could try looking on the bright side. After all, Anna did, and now she's happily married to Kristoff. Maybe the bright side isn't all that bad.

* * *

Diablo looked up as he heard a knock at the door. It was open, but Kristoff stood in the doorway, a small smirk on the mountain man's face. Diablo had just come out of the shower so he was dressed in his old clothes, which Phoebe had washed while he was showering, and his hair was damp. He still had his eye patch on, though.

Kristoff leaned against the door frame, raising his eyebrows slightly. "So, what's going on between you and the Snow Queen?"

"What? What do you mean?" Diablo asked, confused.

Kristoff crossed over and sat on the bed next to Diablo. "Anna and I saw you two cuddled together this morning. And, in Anna's words, you two were 'super adorable,'" he commented, using air quotes. Diablo began to blush the faintest bit.

"Nothing's going on between us. We were just trying to keep warm…" Diablo searched desperately for reasons, chewing his lip inside of his mouth.

Kristoff rolled his eyes at Diablo's arrogance. "Diablo, Elsa doesn't get cold."

Diablo sighed, at a loss for words now. Kristoff had a point. Suddenly, he buried his face in his hands. "Fine, I admit it. I like her. Love her, even. I have since the moment I laid eyes on her. She's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen… Her amazing, perfect face haunts me every night and day… I just can't stop thinking about how I'm probably as far from being enough as I can get… After all, she deserves some one so much better than me… I'm trying to be perfect, but I can't… I doubt she feels the same way…"

Kristoff reached over and patted Diablo's back comfortingly. "That's it… Just let it out… Let it all out…"

* * *

Elsa stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel that Phoebe had gave to her to put in there for when she was done. She dried herself, but kept the towel wrapped around her as she stood in front of the mirror, squeezing her hair out in front of the mirror and above the sink. She hummed a soft tune to herself, oblivious to what was about to happen.

Suddenly, the door opened. Elsa spun towards it, her eyes wide as she fumbled to hold her towel in place. In the doorway stood Diablo, having not known she was in there and looking horrified.

* * *

_**Sorry it's shorter than usual... My mind is on a lot of stressful things right now so I was distracted **_**x-x.**


	9. Chapter 9

Diablo was frozen in place, his eyes wide and his mouth agape. He forced his gaze to stay on Elsa's slightly-panicked face, though. She secured her towel completely so that it wouldn't fall off, red rising quickly in both Elsa's and Diablo's cheeks. "Oh, umm… Hi," Elsa stuttered, trying to find what to say.

Diablo finally found his voice, after what seemed like forever but really was only a minute or so. "Qu-Queen Elsa! I-I'm so sorry! I d-didn't know you'd be in h-here…" he fumbled for words even more, stumbling over his own words. He finally found the courage to move his gaze away, staring at his feet. "I-I'll just… Go…"

Elsa nodded a tiny bit, her eyes still wide with shock and embarrassment as he rushed out of there, closing the door firmly behind him. She shakily, but quickly, slipped into her dress and ran a brush through her long platinum blonde hair before any more embarrassing events could occur.

Elsa basically ran out of the bathroom, escaping to the room she was staying in. Luckily, Diablo wasn't in there. But unfortunately, Anna was. Elsa sighed as she saw her sister. "Anna, have you come to embarrass me again?"

Anna smiled sweetly at her big sister. "Oh, whatever are you talking about?" she asked in an innocent voice before bursting out in laughter. Even Elsa had to chuckle a little. Just as suddenly as Anna had broken into laughter, she stopped, serious again. "No, Elsa. I'm here because I want to give you sisterly advice." Elsa raised an eyebrow at this, solemn as well. Anna took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly as she stood up and approached Elsa, who was still leaning against the doorframe. She placed one hand on her big sister's shoulder, her eyes bright but still serious somehow. "You admitted to me that you have feelings for him."

Elsa's shoulders drooped a little bit as she buried her face in her hands. "Oh god, not again Anna…" she muttered, readying herself for the mortifying conversation to come.

"Elsa, listen to me," Anna instructed, making Elsa slowly remove her hands. Anna was staring into her sister's eyes, her own blue ones blank. "I'm not pushing you into anything. I'm just trying to tell you that opportunities like this only come once in a lifetime. When you two were together this morning, it was… Magical, somehow. It even made Kristoff happy to see you two. Not to humiliate you or anything like that, but your bodies… They just… Fit together. It's hard to explain… Elsa, I was basically bouncing out of excitement at the sight. I actually _cried._ Tears of joy, that is, but still. That's why I want to tell you this… You can't let him be the one that got away. You can't just let him slip between your fingers because he thought he wasn't worth it…"

Anna took in a deep breath once more, before continuing. "You need to show him, somehow, that you care. That you have a few feelings for him, even if they are scattered and unfathomable. If you don't, he'll just flee. Elsa, guys are… Guys are dogs."

"…Dogs?" Elsa finally spoke up, staring at her younger sister with a puzzled expression on her white face, since the blush had left not long ago.

"Yeah, dogs. They are loyal. Their lover is their owner. There are some dogs that aren't loyal and try to have more than one owner. Of course, being intelligently superior, the owner always finds out. And there are some dogs that have rabies. These are the ones that make the worst decisions. For example, marrying out of greed, or being abusive. These are the ones that have yet to learn not to bite the hand that feeds you. But, I want you to listen close. When you find the perfect dog for you, the most loyal, complementary one… You can't leave him outside, tied to a pole, while you go into a diner to eat. You can't restrain him. If you do, he might grow impatient and run away."

Anna had lost Elsa at 'owner'. "What?" Elsa inquired, completely and utterly confused now.

Anna ignored her sister's confusion. "Women on the other hand, are birds. When we're young, we have yet to fly. We are scared and unsure of things about the world. But as we spread our wings and learn to soar, we are opened to a land of possibilities. There will be dogs chasing us, trying to win us over. Some birds were raised with greed and choose more than one. Mostly, though, we stick to one. Some weren't raised correctly, so they choose incorrectly. But what these dogs have to learn is that we mainly don't mean harm. We are peaceful, for the most part. We are leery at times, though. The majority of us don't jump into trust. We have to be lured. But if the dogs leap too quickly, we're out the window before he can utter a word."

Elsa stared blankly at her younger sister, both puzzled and astonished by her sister's words. "So…?"

"So, Elsa, you are a snow petrel. Diablo is a Husky. He's waiting for you to make the first move, though. If he does like you, and I really think he does, then you need to let him know that you trust him. Don't leave him tied outside. At least loosen his leash a little bit if you aren't ready to take it off. You need to let your feelings show. Elsa, I really just want you to be happy… And I know that you will be five miles from happy if you act indifferent. So, promise me that you'll try."

Elsa just continued to watch her sister. "But Anna, I don't know how…"

"Promise me!"

The ferocity in Anna's voice made Elsa flinch. Anna noticed, but didn't pay it much mind. Finally, Elsa sighed, giving in. "Fine… I promise I'll try… But I might just end up messing up and making him scramble to flee…"

Anna smiled for once, her smile so wide that it brought a tiny grin onto Elsa's face. "Good. I really just want what's best for you. Even if you do scare him off, at least you'll know you tried."

"I guess…" Elsa sighed, then stood up straight again. "We have to go prepare to start journeying again."

Anna nodded, and together the sisters began packing up the few bags they have. It didn't take long at all, and before too long, Anna, Elsa, Diablo, Olaf, and Kristoff were all outside again. Elsa and Diablo were purposefully keeping their gazes off of each other, being reminded of the awkward moments they had shared earlier when they did.

Phoebe walked out of the house, holding one of her younger brothers. Quickly, Anna embraced her, being careful not to squish the child. "Thank you for all that you've done for us. I'll make sure to make it up to you," Anna promised with a smile. Phoebe began to argue, but Anna cut her off. "When it arrives, just consider it a gift from the Princess of Arendelle," she smiled even wider, pointing to herself. "And the prince slash Official Arendelle Ice Master and Deliverer, one of Arendelle's most trusted guards, and the very own Queen of Arendelle herself."

Anna had gestured to everyone in turn. Phoebe's eyes widened and a blush crept onto her cheeks at the princess's words. "Oh, my gosh! I am so sorry! I didn't know!" Phoebe exclaimed, staring at Elsa. She immediately bowed her head, looking more than a little flustered. "My Queen, I really am sorry! Please don't arrest me!"

"Arrest you?" Elsa seemed shocked at the idea. "After you fed us and sheltered us even when you thought we were just commoners? Anna's right, we should be thanking you. If it weren't for you, we might have died," she added, walking over with a smile and hugging Phoebe, also being careful of the baby. Phoebe looked flabbergasted, to say the least. "And you can just call us by our regular names. Keep your eyes open for our gift."

Phoebe nodded, her eyes still as wide as they could go. With that done, Elsa turned and walked over to Diablo and Latte, looking him in the eye for the first time since the incident. Elsa tried to hide the way that her cheeks flushed and her chest fluttered at the sight of him. He noticed the first one, but didn't comment.

"Alright, then. Ready to go?" Elsa asked as Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf climbed into the sled. Diablo met her gaze and nodded once, a small gesture. He climbed onto Latte and offered Elsa a hand up. She took it graciously, swinging herself onto the cream horse behind Diablo. She immediately wrapped her arms around him, without him needing to say anything. Anna looked at Elsa and nodded encouragingly.

Elsa stifled a sigh, sending her younger sister a look that clearly said 'give me time'. Anna rolled her eyes, but didn't argue. Latte and Sven both began to move in unison, Sven pulling his sled and Latte riding smoothly through the snow even with Diablo and Elsa on her back. Just when Anna was starting to get impatient with her older sister, Elsa rested her head against Diablo's back, loving his warmth.

_So what if I do kind of like him? It's not illegal for me to feel things anymore…_ she thought to herself as she hugged him from behind, breathing in his scent of cinnamon mixed with lavender that he always wore.

It was then that she noticed how shallowly Diablo was breathing. Elsa lifted her head, frowning. "What's wrong? Am I holding on too tight?" she asked, her voice laced thickly with concern.

Diablo seemed to jump at her voice, making her frown deepen. "Oh, it's nothing… Your arms aren't too tight, don't worry. I just… I'm just thinking…" he trailed off, his eyes fixed on the snowy ground. He wasn't lying; he was thinking. He just felt embarrassed at what exactly it was that he was thinking about.

Elsa relaxed and leaned her head on his smooth, straight back once again, letting out a sigh of relief. The silence seemed to stretch on for hours, even though it was really only a few minutes. "Thinking about what?" she finally inquired, closing her eyes in pleasure as she breathed in his sweet smell. She didn't know how he acquired the aroma, but she liked it.

"Just random things…" Diablo didn't go into more details quite yet.

Elsa frowned once more, puzzled that he didn't continue. "Like what?"

Diablo took in a deep breath, and then let it out slowly. He had to confess. Or at least hint at it, like Kristoff had told him to. But now that the time was here, he was suddenly feeling very anxious. So, he focused on his thoughts, and explained them as if he was talking to Kristoff. "I'm thinking about last night, when you had an attack and went unconscious. When I was holding you in my arms... It was like holding a fallen angel. The moonlight had shone so beautifully on your amazing face, and back then, I couldn't help but think… 'God, she's beautiful…' And you were. You still are. You're perfect, in every way humanely possible. I don't care that you have powers. They only make you better. I don't care that you're sick. It only makes me want to help you more."

Elsa was shocked at this news, and her eyes instantaneously began to fill with tears for some unknown reason. She was beyond glad that he was facing a different way so that he wouldn't see her tears or her slightly-red face. She didn't know what to say, so she decided against saying anything at all. Instead, she just hugged him a little tighter, leaning into his body. She now let herself thoroughly enjoy the feeling of their bodies pressed together.

What she didn't know was he was concealing silent tears as well.

* * *

_**Thank you all for the wonderful reviews. I know there are much more popular and probably better fanfictions, so I just want to really thank all of you. It means a lot to me that you take the time to read my fanfiction :).**_


	10. Chapter 10

Anna smiled as she noticed Elsa basically cuddling up to Diablo. She didn't see Diablo acting in his body actions. Rather, his mouth was moving. Anna spotted tears on Elsa's face and a few stray ones on Diablo's. Oddly, nothing came out from under his eye patch. _Weird, _she thought to herself. Still, she worried that Elsa had messed up somehow, like she thought she would.

Anna was still warmed by the sight of them snuggling together, so she gently nudged Kristoff and jerked her chin in the direction of the two. Kristoff broke into a small grin at their position, giving Anna a meaningful look.

Kristoff had agreed to help Anna get them closer together after they admitted to the couple that they have feelings for each other. Even Kristoff wants Elsa to have someone in her life. Since that morning, when they confessed, Kristoff and Anna have been working together. Their first act was to get Elsa to show some sort of affection. Kristoff thinks that if she does, Diablo might catch on and return the favor.

Anna gently shifted the small cast that Phoebe had lent her. The girl had had it from when her mother broke her own arm, before she died. Anna made sure to vow to give it back after Elsa was cured. Her arm still ached, but for now it would be fine. She leaned into Kristoff with a small sigh, her gaze still on Elsa and Diablo.

She was slightly worried about the tears, but somehow they seemed like good tears. She didn't know how or why, but she just felt good about them being there.

* * *

Diablo cleared his throat a little bit, trying to get past the awkward silence that had befallen him and Elsa. He had finally discovered what he wanted to ask her. _Remember, you need to know more about her;_ the voice inside his head reminded him of Kristoff's words softly. Diablo mentally nodded before opening his mouth to speak. "So, Elsa. What's your story?"

Elsa was taken aback by the question, and lifted her head to look at him. "My what?"

"Your story. You know, your past and everything?" Diablo explained.

Elsa nodded in understanding, and then took in a shaky breath, letting it out slowly. "I discovered my powers when I was about less than a year old. My parents told me the story over and over. They had said that when I was a quarter of a year old, I had been crying one night. When they came in, my previous dark brunette hair had been turned platinum blonde, and I was super cold. That was when the first mini snow storm was made; above my crib. I guess they decided to go along with it."

Elsa paused, taking in a deep breath before continuing, her voice starting to tremble slightly. "Except one night, Anna woke me up, insisting that we had to play. Eventually, she got me out of bed. I was eight at the time and she was five. We had fun, don't get me wrong. Except one time I was making snow banks for her and then she was jumping too fast and I kind of… Slipped… I threw a bolt of magic, terrified, but it only ended up hitting her in the face… Our parents rushed us to the trolls who, thankfully, were able to remove the magic, also erasing it from her memory. When we returned home, I remember clearly the talk my parents had with me… 'This cannot happen again', they said. 'We cannot risk the safety of anyone else.' In the end, they confessed to me that I was to spend the rest of my life until I became Queen in isolation. Cut off from the world. They locked the gates, reduced the staff, and limited my contact with everyone. That included Anna… I was stuck in my room all day, every day, then. I was only allowed to come out to eat, drink, and bathe. Even then, my meals were mainly brought to my door. Anna would come and sing outside my door, and beg me to play, and I wanted to… But I couldn't…" by now she had begun to cry once more, remembering all of those days blocking her sister out. "When I was eighteen, our parents died. I couldn't stand to even attend their funeral. I was so ashamed of myself… Three years later, my coronation came and, well… I think you know how it goes from there…"

Diablo nodded, feeling guilty that he had asked. "I'm so sorry, that must have been horrible…" his voice help sympathy for the young Queen.

Elsa was leaning against him once more, and shrugged, even though he couldn't see her. "It all turned out semi-okay in the end, I guess," was all she said. The silence came once more, this one much more uneasy than the other one. Finally, Elsa raised her voice again, her words slicing through the quiet like a knife. "What about you?"

Diablo's eyes widened at the question, having not known she'd ask. He decided to lie by omitting rather than by altering the truth. "Well, I grew up in a poor family on the edge of Weselton. I lived with my father, uncle, and older sister. One day, I kind of found my sister dead against a tree trunk… She had only been eleven at the time, and me seven, but it scared me. My father loved me as much as any father loves his son and more. My uncle on the other hand… Wasn't too fond. He kept his distance from me, staying in his study most of the time. I didn't know why, but I never bothered to look. I should have. I remember one day, my uncle sort of lost it. He killed my father, his own brother, right in front of me, and tried to kill me, as well. He got my eye, but then people were coming. He fled. I've never seen him since…" he said softly, forgetting about how yesterday he had said that a wolf took his eye.

Elsa removed one hand from around his waist, not knowing what to say. She placed it comfortingly on his shoulder, making him glance back at her. She wore an understanding smile that did, in fact reach her eyes.

Gently, she removed the hand and reached for his eye patch sort of hesitantly. "Can I see?" she asked a perfectly innocent question.

Diablo stared at Elsa for a few minutes, puzzled, before he realized her true intentions. "No!" he exclaimed, louder than he wanted to, drawing the attention of Anna and Kristoff whose minds had wandered off eventually. Diablo's hands flew to cover his eye patch as Elsa pulled back, frowning. Of course, he had taken both hands off of Latte's reins when he did this, so when the horse jumped a log, he gasped, taking one hand away to grab the reins once more. His left hand remained though as he turned back, his gaze in front of him again as he took in a trembling breath. "No," he repeated, this time calmer.

Elsa's frown deepened a little bit. "But, why not? If it's just a battle scar…"

"Elsa, please," Diablo pleaded without having to turn around. "I just… Don't like the reminder, okay?" He struggled for a way to credibly explain it. He hoped that this reason was enough.

Elsa was still frowning, but she reluctantly agreed. "Fine… But I expect to see it eventually…"

Diablo nodded, fearing the moment she'd see it… She'd call him a monster, a Diablo, and never want to see him again. It was what had always happened. The rest of day went by in a rather awkward silence. When night came, they stumbled across a clearing, and decided to just sleep there.

Diablo leaned against Latte, who was lying down. He was staring into nothingness. Elsa walked over to him and sat down next to him, no words needed. Gently, she reached over and grabbed his hand in hers. He accepted her cold-yet-warm hand in his, savoring the feeling, knowing that it wouldn't last long.

With a sigh followed by a small cough, Elsa rested her head casually on Diablo's shoulder. They both knew that they liked each other by now, but weren't sure how to express it. Both were dreading Elsa's next attack. She only had three left before her heart would fail.

"Oh, Diablo…" she whispered, her voice hushed. "What are we going to do?"

He carefully wrapped one arm around her shoulder, hoping she wouldn't mind. He pulled her a little closer to him, and by the way she practically melted into his touch, he figured it was the right thing to do. "We'll be okay," he promised her firmly, though he knew that no one could guarantee such a thing.

"Will we?"

* * *

When Diablo woke up the next morning, Elsa was snuggled against him. He figured after thirteen years of isolation, she enjoyed the human touch she was now able to feel. He smiled down at her, her slight snores a comforting sound to him. As carefully as he could, he disentangled her from him, kissing her forehead gently before standing up and walking over to where Kristoff was.

"Good morning," he greeted the mountain man/prince.

Kristoff grunted in response. "We should be there around noon today," he commented as he watched Anna jump at an apple tree, reaching with her left arm and bringing down a couple of apples. She scampered over with four of them, grinning wildly.

Obviously, she'd seen Elsa and Diablo sleeping together again. At that moment, Elsa dragged herself over to them, rubbing her eyes. She had been disturbed into awakening by the lack of Diablo-ness. She smiled and her face lit up when she saw him and she immediately walked over to him, simply standing beside him as Anna passed out apples and Kristoff used a knife to cut a loaf of bread they'd brought with them into four pieces, stashing the leftovers away in the consumables bag once more.

Everyone enjoyed the breakfast, but too soon it was time to get ready to go. As Kristoff placed all of the bags in the sled again, Elsa and Diablo walked back over to Latte, having been caught in silence's icy grip.

Diablo swung himself onto Latte's back, and the horse crouched down for Elsa to climb on. She didn't know what came over her, but right before she settled onto Latte, she reached over and planted a soft kiss on Diablo's cheek, right under his eye patch. Diablo's eyes widened, but Elsa didn't notice. She was blushing slightly as Sven and Latte started off in a gentle trot.

The ride was spent in the beautiful peace and quiet. Elsa's eyes skipped a beat as she saw the Shadow Mountain not far away. Here was the place where she would be cured at last. She didn't know what to expect as they approached a small cave on the far side of it, her heartbeat irregularly fast. The entrance was big enough for everyone, including Sven and Latte to get through, and the cave itself wide and airy enough for them all to fit in with room to spare.

What was inside, though, shocked everyone.

"Nothing's here," Anna was the first one to speak up. Meanwhile, Elsa was leaning against one of the walls in defeat, on the verge of tears. They had come all this way and risked their lives for… What? Nothing. There was nothing inside of the cave.

Latte stayed next to Elsa, trying to comfort the distressed Queen who had begun to cry, while everyone else insisted on looking even further. Diablo most of all. He had finally accepted his feelings for Elsa, and now that they were where the antidote was supposed to be… It wasn't. He could slowly feel himself losing it, anger trying to fight its way into his mind.

The voice in his head was quiet as it tried to hold back the fury. It succeeded for the most part.

Suddenly, the sound of a voice echoed through the cave. It was meant for Diablo, though. "You're looking too hard."

Diablo froze immediately, his eyes widening. _That voice…_ He spun around and was met with a slim man who looked to be around his mid-thirties. The man had a rough, cold voice and short black hair. His eyes were the color of sickeningly sweet green, and he was smiling. His smile didn't reach his eyes, though, which were still as chilled as ever and focused intently on Diablo.

"Wolf…" Diablo breathed out, his voice a mixture of hardness, rage, hatred, and, if only a little bit, fear.

The man known as Wolf's smile just grew a little bit, his yellow teeth shining. "Hello, nephew."

* * *

_**Eep! Super excited for the next chapter! I've been planning next chapter for a while now, and it's going to be quite eventful :3. Everything about Diablo will be revealed and, quite possibly, him and Elsa might have their first kiss c:. But as always, I'd thoroughly appreciate it if you could review this chapter, and tell em what you think of it. I was so tempted to have them kiss on the lips, but I have to retrain until next chapter x-x.**_


	11. Chapter 11

Elsa's eyes widened and she picked herself up, rushing over to Diablo. She immediately linked her arm in his comfortingly. "Diablo… Is this your uncle?" she asked in a hushed voice.

Diablo just carefully took his arm out of Elsa's and gently nudged her away without even looking at her, his gaze locked on his uncle. Elsa began to protest, but he cut her off. "Elsa, please. Things could get ugly. I don't want you to get hurt." Elsa stopped fighting, but didn't move back to the cave wall, crossing her arms over her chest and huffing.

Wolf's eyes landed on Elsa and filled with pleasure. "Oh, so little Xavier found a lover. How nice. I can't wait to see you run off like the rest of them when you find out who he really is," he commented in a perfectly sweet and innocent voice.

"Wh-what are you talking about?" Elsa whispered, her eyes still wide with shock.

Wolf mocked astonishment. "Wait, so you really didn't know? Typical. Anyways, it's good to hear that my only nephew talks about me. Or remembers me at all for that matter. Wait a second… How could you forget me?"

Diablo was slightly trembling, his one visible eyes filled with rage and hatred. "Shut up…" he said in a low, dangerous voice.

Wolf just ignored Diablo. "You know, I remember sticking that knife in your sister's throat. She was a bothersome one. Always asking questions and begging me to help with her homework. Quite the stupid one, as well. I was glad that she was gone. Then, I wanted to get rid of you for the same reasons. It runs in the family, I guess. When I shot it, though, and your idiot of a father jumped in the way, I knew he'd miscalculated. I considered it killing two birds with one stone. But because of his miscalculation, you took only part of it. By that time, I couldn't kill you with magic, for you already had some. I wonder… Has it shown yet?" he inquired, but didn't give the shaking Diablo a chance to answer. "Matters aside, let me continue to catch your little friend here up on things. Now, where was I? Oh, yes. I vaguely remember casting the most perfect curse ever. I would turn you into a devil; my minion. Except, it didn't work on you… But you were still pronounced Cursed."

Just as Wolf finished, Diablo basically exploded. "I said, _SHUT UP!_" he screamed, racing towards his uncle at inhumane speed. Everyone else was paralyzed, their minds reeling. Just as Diablo reached his uncle, his hands outstretched, he passed right through Wolf. He stopped for a second, but didn't hesitate to race towards the next vision of his uncle that had appeared, snarling like a wild animal.

Wolf simply made scolding sounds. "You forget, my dear nephew… I have the powers of darkness. Of course, I cursed myself with them but I don't think of it as a curse. I think of it as a… Gift," he smiled as Diablo kept darting at different, ghost-like versions of him, his voice seeming to come from nowhere.

Diablo shouted to Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, Latte, and Sven, and everyone but Elsa began to sprint for the entrance. Sven picked Elsa up, though, making her screech. Bars slammed down from the entrance of the cave, though.

"Now now, it's not nice to leave without first being dismissed," Wolf chastised in a playful tone. "If you want, I'll make some friends for you to play with." And just like that, the shadows themselves seemed to transform into animate beings. Anna screamed as all of them fell back.

Kristoff whipped a knife out of his belt and slashed at one of them. It cut the thing's arm, and the creature hissed. "They can be attacked! They bleed!" Kristoff cried out. Anna took out her own knives and began stabbing at them. Elsa tried to fend them off with her magic, which made the things turn to dark ice.

The creatures themselves were grotesque. They did have flesh and it was gray and old. They had hoods over their heads, connected to cloaks that flowed behind them and never seemed to be able to come off. Their eyes could clearly be seen from under the hoods, though, and they were a glowing, blood red. The sound of their hissing filled the cave, drowning out everything but Wolf's voice.

"Why have you covered up my beautiful artwork? Why not let them all know what it is I have done to you, as if they can't already see? Remove that hideous eye patch at once!" Diablo didn't waver, continuing to chase after his uncle's figures as more and more shadow-creatures erupted and were born from the darkness itself.

One of them took a detour, though. As it passed by, it threw out one razor-like clawed hand and grabbed hold of Diablo's eye patch from behind. Easily, it yanked it off of him.

Diablo shrieked as he felt his eye exposed. Wolf grinned and ordered his minions to stop momentarily. With one flick of Wolf's hand, two of the shadows rushed towards the man, grabbing him by the arms and hauling him to face another direction. Diablo was smart, though, and kept his eyes closed. Unfortunately, Wolf was smarter. He nonverbally instructed one of his minions to lift Diablo's eyelids. A third one obeyed, sliding over and using one cold, wrinkled hand to lift both eyelids.

Everyone had their eyes on Diablo as a sudden quiet filled the cave. The sight made Anna scream and Kristoff flinch. Elsa, on the other hand, stared at the eye in complete shock and bewilderment. It was almost as if she was in a trance. Diablo's right eye was completely, pitch black. It had no color or whites. It was just black. But that wasn't the end of the description, though. Elsa could only describe as it being an endless, bottomless black pit. It looked as if it could suck your soul in.

Elsa had tears streaming down her cheeks, as did Diablo. Coming out of his right eye, though, was blood. "Diablo… No…" Elsa whispered, walking over to him swiftly, not knowing what else to do. She dropped to her knees in front of him and gently cupped his face in her hands. "No… Th-there's nothing wrong with you… I'm not going to l-leave you…"

"Aww, how sweet," Wolf commented, smiling an evil smile. Then he nodded to one of his shadows. "Kill her."

Diablo began to twitch as the shadow ran towards Elsa. He knew what was going to happen, though. Elsa screamed as the shadow's claws raked down her neck, but as soon as the wound had been made, it disappeared, along with the pain. Elsa was stunned into silence, as was Wolf.

Suddenly, Wolf's eyes narrowed at Elsa in hatred. "She's magic, too, isn't she?" Diablo nodded sullenly, staring at the ground. He mumbled something, but it was too quiet to hear. One of the shadows holding him leaned in closer as he repeated it, but it was even softer this time. When the shadow leaned in even more, Diablo, in a surprise attack, threw his head forward and sunk his teeth into the thing's neck while he swung a leg out and kicked at the other one and chaos erupted.

Kristoff, Anna, Sven, and Latte were cornered, defending themselves the best they can, while Elsa was shooting at every shadow she could find, not having to worry about her own safety. Diablo was the main target, though. At least twenty shadows engulfed him. Elsa screeched as claws raked down her spine, but the pain was gone instantaneously.

Still, her scream had worked its magic. In a burst of desperate strength, Diablo threw everything off of him. He was biting, scratching, punching, and kicking at every shadow he could find. He was snarling with rage as they were hissing. He was barely human. He was darting around, killing almost as fast as they were being made. When they got scratches on him, those healed up as quickly as Elsa's had.

Diablo was finally acting like what he'd named himself. He was a beast; a raging devil, provoked by hatred and love and fear. He couldn't help what he had become. He hated the animal he was, but it was his uncle's fault, and he knew that. Without even a blink of the eye, he knew what he had to do. He sprinted out of range of the creatures, heading towards his real, skin-and-bones-and-cold-blood uncle.

When Wolf spotted him, he broke into a smile. "Oh, hello there nephew. Enjoying the gifts I provided you?"

Diablo's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Oh, I'm loving them," he sneered sarcastically. "In fact, I think you might have made me too powerful…"

* * *

_Xavier was lying on the floor, pain shooting through his head. His uncle was screaming darkness at him, but he didn't pay attention. "Just leave me alone!" he screamed. His uncle had been unrelenting, though._

_"You could have it all. Your pain would be gone, you could be free of your grief, and people would cower at the sight of you. What more could you want?" his uncle's voice boomed through it all, only angering him more._

_"And I would be emotionless! For the last time, I say no!"_

_Wolf had narrowed his eyes in hatred. "Very well. Might as well kill you then," he commented, lifting one slim hand. A ball of darkness formed at his palm, shooting towards Xavier. It was just about to hit the man, who was just a boy back then, hardly 15 years old._

_Suddenly, a scream sounded. "No!" it called just as Xavier's father jumped in front of him. Xavier's eyes widened as he realized what was happening, and then he felt a jolt inside of him. His vision went black for a few seconds before it caught onto his father._

_Xavier shouted in despair as he enveloped his father in a hug, but his father simply turned to ashes in his grip. Xavier had shrieked his sorrow, and then turned towards his uncle, breathing hard. Wolf just smiled down at his nephew, waiting for him to make the first move. And Xavier did. As he ran towards his uncle, Wolf simply flicked his hand._

_The darkness flooded Xavier, and he could feel himself losing it, screaming as pain embraced him openly. Just then, his father's voice sounded in his head, shouting for him to keep a grip on his sanity. Xavier had been stunned into silence by his father's voice, and as he stopped fighting, his father was easily able to pull him back into safety. Well, almost. Xavier's eye was now a pitch black, bottomless pit of hatred. The eye of the devil he was now supposed to be._

_Wolf was shocked, but then broke into a grin. "Oh, my poor nephew… I'm afraid, I couldn't turn you into a devil. What with the power inside of you and all. But you are cursed now, and you cannot control yourself. I guess, in some way, you really are a devil. Enjoy your gift." And then his uncle disappeared into the shadows._

* * *

Diablo's breathing came quicker as the memory flashed through his head and he stormed towards his uncle. His uncle watched him, but before he could utter a single word, Diablo had his hands around his throat.

"Any last words?" he hissed, his voice and eyes shining with pure, hot white fury.

Wolf clawed at the hands around his throat, but to no avail. "Yes," he gasped, his eyes wide. "One. Goodbye," he suddenly grinned as, using the power of darkness, he pushed his nephew back into the shadows.

Diablo yelled in anger, but was on his feet again immediately. Wolf was escaping, but Diablo was quicker. His father's voice whispered for him to extend his hand, palm out, and he did. Just as he did, a bright white bolt shot from his hand and collided with his uncle. Diablo's eyes were large as Wolf screamed, sizzling under his newfound power of light.

Soon, Wolf shriveled up, turning to ashes, just like his brother had done. The shadow beings all dissolved, and everyone's wide eyes were on Diablo.

He suddenly backed up, realizing that they now knew his secret. Even without his father telling him, he knew what to do. He ran to Elsa, and embraced her. She was too astonished to respond. When he pulled back, he was finally able to meet her eyes, both of his locked with both of hers.

"Diablo…" she whispered, a mixture of emotions in her trembling voice.

Diablo held one finger up to her lips. "Shh, it's okay. You don't have to be afraid anymore…" As soon as he spoke the words, he removed his hand and pressed his lips firmly to hers. Her eyes went even wider somehow and she began to kiss back a little bit, though she was actually sort of clumsy.

Suddenly, Diablo jerked back from the kiss, leaving Elsa surprised and disappointed that the kiss had ended just like that. Gently, he cupped her face in his hands. "I'm so sorry, Elsa…" he said softly. And just like that, he was gone.

* * *

_**Ooh! Cliffhangers and information! Fun fun! This was actually super fun to write haha :). I hope to see reviews for this dramatic, and exceptionally special chapter, so I can know what you all think of it :).**_


	12. Chapter 12

It took Elsa a minute or two to find her voice as Latte galloped faithfully after her master. When Elsa finally did have her voice back, she began to screech. "Diablo! Diablo!" she called, immediately running towards the entrance. Anna and Kristoff exchanged a look of worry while Olaf rushed over to try and hold her back.

"Elsa, stop. You're going to kill yourself!" Olaf exclaimed as Elsa stumbled in her sprinting.

With a grunt, Elsa pushed herself back up again. A few steps later, she fell to the floor once more. She was already bawling, just like she had done when Anna froze. Her calls came in between choking sobs. Suddenly, she knew that he was out of range and couldn't hear her anymore, just as a piercing pain shot through her chest. She gasped and held her hands to her chest, knowing that the feeling wasn't coming from the disease. It was coming from a broken heart.

She finally gave up, collapsing on the ground in a mixture of rapid breathing and broken sobs. Anna rushed over and instantaneously wrapped her good arm around her older sister, murmuring soft, soothing words. No one knew why he did it, or what good could come out from it.

Finally, Elsa began to talk in gasps, her voice as broken as she. "I-I didn't… Know… How much… I… Needed… Him!" she choked, tears streaming down her face.

"I know… I know…" Anna whispered, using her good arm to haul her older sister onto her lap. She gently stroked Elsa's hair, but Elsa didn't seem to notice. She was way too out of it. Elsa was reduced to just moaning Diablo's name every now and then. By now, Anna was extremely worried about her.

An abrupt, impetuous, and very familiar searing bolt of pain erupted in Elsa's head and she screamed again, clutching her head. This time, though, her screeches died down as her voice wore out, but she was still in desperate agony as her third attack came.

Anna quickly began to freak out as Diablo wasn't here and she wasn't sure what to do. "Kristoff!" she called. The mountain man rushed over, not knowing what to do. "Grab her! Hurry! We need to get back to Arendelle!" his wife urged desperately. Kristoff nodded and scooped Elsa up off of Anna's lap, though all Elsa did was thrash around.

When Elsa realized that she was being held by someone other than Diablo, she uttered one last shriek, flailing even harder. One of her arms ended up decking Kristoff in the jaw and Kristoff gasped, his hold on the Queen weakening considerably in surprise. Elsa took advantage of this and catapulted out of the mountain man's grasp, hitting the floor with a thud. The searing, pounding pain inside her head drowned out this new pain as she proceeded to try and drag herself across the cave floor in the general direction Diablo left in. Even though her eyes were wide open, her vision was dark.

* * *

"Faster, Latte!" Diablo kicked his horse into a full-blown sprint, trying to escape as fast as he could. _Where to go? Where to go?_ His mind was racing as fast as his mare was, trying to find a place where he could escape and let his frustration out. He gasped as a pain shot through his chest, and now he couldn't hear Elsa screaming for him anymore.

_I'm sorry, Elsa!_ He thought desperately, though he knew that she would never be able to hear him mentally screaming for her as well. She knew what he was now, though, and he had hit the realization. Just like his previous wife, Elsa wouldn't be safe with him. He shuddered as he vaguely remembered being provoked by his uncle. He was a Diablo then, like he was in the cave. Layla had tried to stop him, but he was too worked up…

He remembered holding her by the shoulders and slamming her against the tree, and tossing her into the river. Another shiver passed through him at the memory. He had decided not to trust himself again after that. But here he was, three years later, in even deeper love now, and being forced to leave her for her own safety. He sighed, defeated. "I guess I'm just not cut out for a happy life, eh Latte?" he asked the horse. Latte neighed in response, which he took as agreement.

He remembered Layla fondly. She wasn't an Elsa, but she was still special in her own way. They had married when he was twenty. It was one year later when he had killed her… Still, he could remember clearly how beautiful she looked with her soft, silky brown hair and warm, loving green eyes. She knew about his Devil's Eye, but she didn't think it was bad. The similarities between her and Elsa's personalities were astonishing.

It had been Layla who had saved up and bought Latte for him. It had been Layla who had told him about the wonders of Arendelle after visiting family there. It had been Layla whose death had been haunting him for years.

All of a sudden, a huge wind blew into them. Latte neighed loudly at this, but continued to gallop away. Diablo knew that the storm was the effect of Elsa. He wasn't surprised when his father's voice suggested her having an attack. The news only made him want to turn back even more, though. _No,_ he told himself. _You're a danger to everyone you touch._

"Alright, Latte," he continued to talk to his horse, since there was no one else to talk to. "I figure we could hide out for at least a few days before we have to return to Arendelle. When we're there, we can arrange to move again. Where do you think we should go, girl? Corona, the Southern Isles, or Denmark?" he asked.

Latte whinnied in response, slowing down the tiniest bit.

"Yeah, Corona sounds good to me, too," he commented, as if he knew what his horse had said. Then he sighed. "I'm going to miss her, though… I really do love her. I just wish I wasn't cursed. Oh, that reminds me," he added as he reached into his pocket and retrieved his eye patch that he had salvaged right before he left. Easily, he wrapped it around his head, breathing out in relief at the familiar, safe feeling it always gave him. "Much better, yeah?"

* * *

Kristoff sighed and glanced back at Elsa lying in the back of the sled. They had decided to just wait out her attack. Eventually, she fell unconscious, but there was no telling how long until the heartbroken mess would wake up again. Not that he'd ever tell Anna he was thinking about her sister in that way. He rubbed his still aching jaw a little bit, watching as Olaf cuddled up to Elsa. Still, Elsa twitched every now and then in her unconscious state. Rarely, she would even whisper Diablo's name.

"We have to get to the trolls," he suddenly spoke up, turning his attention back to where they were traveling. When Elsa's disease finally took over her mind and knocked her out, the storm had stopped. The snow on the ground was still thick though.

Anna looked at him, confused. "I thought we had to get back to Arendelle."

Kristoff met her gaze briefly before focusing on right in front of them again. "We do, but first the trolls. Think about it, Anna. Grand Pabbie said Elsa's next attack would be in three days. It was two days before that. He said we would find the antidote at the cave. There was nothing there but trouble. We need to see what's up. I promise, it will be quick."

Anna nodded, but didn't exactly look convinced. "How close are we?" she asked.

"Luckily, we're pretty close."

Kristoff had been right. Before too long, they had arrived at the Trolls' valley, which was scattered with rocks. They weren't really rocks, or so was pointed true when the rocks all began to roll towards the newcomers.

All of the rocks unfurled into trolls and of course, everyone began to cheer about how Kristoff and Anna were home. Olaf jumped out of the sled to go and play with his baby troll buddies, laughing the whole time. All of the commotion reached through Elsa's wall of disease, jerking her awake.

Elsa's eyes were wide open as she noticed the trolls for the first time. Her plague-muddled brain wouldn't allow her to recognize them. She screamed and leapt out of the sled, crashing to the ground and scrambling to escape.

Anna rushed to her older sister's aid, her eyes filled with concern. "Shh, shh, Elsa… They won't hurt you. I promise, they just want to help."

Elsa met her younger sister's gaze, her heart beating fast and hard in her chest. "Y-you sure?" she stuttered slightly, her voice fearful. Anna nodded, smiling warmly. Elsa warily glanced at the trolls, and then nodded back. Slowly, she stood up on shaky legs as Anna returned to Kristoff. Elsa stared at the trolls for a little while longer before sprinting as fast as she could on her disease-ridden legs over to Anna, wrapping her arms around her sister's good one. She was still slightly afraid of the trolls, because now that she recognized them, they just reminded her of the night she accidentally froze Anna's head.

"Anna…" Elsa started cautiously, still staring suspiciously at the trolls. "What are we doing here?"

Anna looked at her older sister and leaned into her a little bit, trying to comfort her. "We're just here to see what happened with what Pabbie said. Also, Kristoff was raised by trolls." Elsa's eyes widened as she stared at Anna in disbelief. "Oh, did I not tell you that?"

Elsa shook her head, wide awake by now. Kristoff, meanwhile, had been conversing with Bulda and Cliff. The crowd, which had been raving over Anna and Kristoff and slightly confused about the Queen being there, suddenly quieted and parted. In rolled Grand Pabbie, who approached Kristoff.

"Grand Pabbie, what you said about Elsa was wrong," Kristoff cut right to the point. Trolls nudged Elsa forwards, nearer to Pabbie, and she had to suppress a surprised shriek.

Pabbie, on the other hand, seemed confused. "What did I say about her?"

"That her next attack would be in three days and the only place to find the antidote was in the sunless cave on the darkest mountain," Anna spoke up this time.

This just puzzled Pabbie more. "I never said anything like that. Are you sure?"

Kristoff nodded, taking Elsa by the wrist and dragging her closer. She protested, but gave in eventually. Weakened by her attack, she was in no state to argue. "You came to Arendelle alone and-"

"Ah, there it is. Kristoff, I know it has been awhile since you lived with us, but do you remember the eighth rule of the trolls?" Pabbie interrupted.

"Yes, of course. It's to never… Travel… Alone…" Kristoff got red in the face as he realized. "Oh my god… This is just all my fault, isn't it? I should have known you were being impersonated… I guess I was just too worried about my sister-in-law…"

Pabbie nodded. "It's alright, Kristoff. People make bad choices if they're mad or scared or stressed." Then, abruptly, he turned to Elsa. "Come, come," he instructed. Elsa held back, but was nudged forward by Anna.

The real Pabbie placed his hand on Elsa's forehead. She fell into a momentary sleep as he did. "Ah, yes, here it is."

He removed his hand and Elsa jolted awake again, clinging to Anna's good arm for support. "Your heart is weakened, Elsa. Normally you would have more time, but it seems as if something, or someone, else has helped the disease. Even if by accident, the thing or person caused great damage."

Elsa groaned. "Diablo…"

Pabbie just continued, though. "Your next attack will be two days from now. And, if there are no interruptions in the spreading, three days after that would be your fifth and final attack. Dear girl, you have but five days left to live."

* * *

_**I'm sorry Elsa's just a heartbroken wreck, but her and Diablo are basically soul mates... xD.**_


	13. Chapter 13

Elsa leaned against the side of the sled, sighing heavily as she watched the snow-caked trees flash by. It was the day after they visited the trolls. _Four days left,_ she thought grimly, placing her elbow on the edge of her sled and her face in her hand. Anna had to coax food into her this morning. She didn't really feel like doing much anymore. She was way past crying by now. Her tears had simply dried up.

Anna hesitated, and then gently tapped Elsa's shoulder using her left, uninjured arm. Elsa didn't even budge. Anna's gaze flicked to the ground. Ever since the trolls, Elsa had been sort of… Closed off. Anna didn't like it one bit. "Elsa," she spoke, tapping her sister's shoulder again.

Elsa jumped, surprised, then turned and realized it was just Anna. "Oh. It's you. What do you want, Anna?" she asked, resuming the position she had taken up not too long ago, with her whole body against the side of the sled.

Anna flinched at the nonchalance in Elsa's tone, but Elsa didn't notice. "I-I just wanted you to know that… You can always talk to me if you need to let anything out…" she shrugged, staring at the bottom of the sled and feeling silly.

Elsa was silent for what seemed to stretch on for hours but really was only a few minutes. Anna thought she had zoned off again when she finally spoke, catching Anna off guard. "I gave him everything. I loved him with all my heart. I only knew him for a few days, but it felt as if I'd known him forever…"

Anna half-smiled. "Oh, yeah? What's his last name?"

"Nether," Elsa answered automatically, surprising Anna.

"What's his favorite food?"

"Salmon."

"Best friend's name?"

"His horse Latte."

"Eye color?"

"One blue, one black."

"Foot size?"

"Ten and a half. Now, what is it that you want?"

Anna was astonished at how much her sister knew about Diablo. Really, how could she know all of that?

Elsa glanced back to see her sister's astounded face. Elsa just shrugged indifferently. "We had a lot of time while looking for you guys. You can't blame us for having been bored." Everyone fell into a nice, quiet, and peaceful silence as Elsa became the statue staring out of the sled once again, watching her life tick by slowly. After about half an hour, Elsa finally broke the silence, her words so filled with bitterness that they almost visibly sliced through the air. "I'm going to die, aren't I? And, to be quite honest, I'm not as scared of my impending death as I should be."

Anna's eyes widened and she winced at Elsa's words. "Don't say that, Elsa!" she gasped, her hand covering her mouth. "You're not going to die, I promise! We just have to find something else. You just need a… Err… Umm… Well, all you need is-"

"Anna," Elsa cut her younger sister off. She knew what Anna wanted to say. "There's no true love's kiss from me. My true love isn't here. He _left me!_ I mean, it's apparent that some people just don't have happy endings. I'm guessing I'm one of those people, eh? Well, I did manage to live twenty-six years. That's enough, isn't it? Actually, I might be lucky for living this long."

Anna was getting angered by Elsa's words. Without thinking, she slapped her older sister's arm. Elsa didn't even blink an eye. "Stop it, Elsa! I won't let you speak like that!"

Elsa was on a roll, though, and refused to stop. "Why would be pretend to love me to just leave me in the end? Why would he just lead me on like that? What is so appealing about shattering my heart? You know, I'm starting to think he never even liked me. I'm starting to think that he just wanted to get me alone so that he could kill me. I bet he even lied about everything he told me!" she was shouting by now, sitting up straight. Her blue eyes were blazing with painful fury. "It was all just an act, wasn't it? Every little word he said to me… A lie! That _jerk!_" she suddenly screeched, flinging her hand out. A blast of ice shot out of her palm and hit a tree with such force that it fell over.

Anna was gawking at the tree until they passed it, watching as it froze over with her sister's agonized rage. When she flicked her gaze back to Elsa, Elsa was slouching. Anna heard gentle sobs coming from her older sister.

"And now… He's never coming back…" Elsa choked out, burying her hand in her hands. She felt Anna's left arm around her, but she didn't even budge. "Oh, Anna… What are we going to do?" she whispered, her voice quiet.

Anna heard, though. She smiled a small, reassuring smile. "That I do know. We're going to go back to Arendelle and save your life, because no matter how much you're not realizing it right now, there are still people in this world who love you, and who you love. I know how it feels to have your heart crushed. Actually, I know how it feels to have your heart frozen, but that doesn't matter right now. What matters is that we're here for you, okay?"

Elsa held still for a few moments, before shakily wrapping her arms around her younger sister. "Okay… And remember Anna, I love you…"

Anna smiled a little bit more at this. "I love you too, Elsa…"

* * *

Diablo leaned against the tree, his hand absently stroking Latte's coat. They had decided to take a small rest. "I was crazy for thinking she would actually like someone as pitiful and cursed as me. Don't you agree, girl?" he asked the cream mare. Latte snorted in response, making Diablo smile a little bit, pretending he actually knew what his horse was saying. "Yeah, I think that too."

He sighed and stood up, walking over to a rocky cliff. Just below, he could see Arendelle. No doubt, Elsa and the others should be close to there by now. With how fast he could sense Elsa escaping him, he didn't expect it would take long. He could still taste Elsa's cold-yet-warm lips on his as she kissed him back. Her kiss was so light and soft that he could just drown in it forever…

_No!_ He exclaimed mentally. _You cannot afford to think like that! You can never again see her except for maybe when you're leaving. No other time. It is for her own good…_

* * *

"There they are!"

The shouts of the guards up atop the watchtowers could be heard even by Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven, who were on the ground. Sven slowed down a bit as he approached the gates, still hauling the sled. He bleated and jumped back a little bit as the gates opened outwards. Immediately, servants were rushing out to their rulers.

"Milady, your arm!" one gasped at Anna, helping her out of the sled. He led her out into the castle grounds, with Kristoff following silently. Elsa was the main target, though.

There were at least ten servants and guards combined stumbling over each other to help her. She winced at the attention, but they didn't care. A guard offered to carry her as she carefully climbed out of the sled. "No thank you, I'm fine. Really, I am," she insisted. Her voice was dull though, and she was slouching the tiniest bit. The last thing she wanted was to be held how Diablo held her…

"Please, help my sister. She must get to the hospital," Anna instructed a guard just as Elsa stumbled, cursing under her breath.

Elsa shooed the guards of off her and straightened, though she was sure there was visible woe in her eyes. Still, there was nothing she could do about it. "I'm fine. I promise." Everyone around her was uncertain, but decided to give her room.

Something caught Elsa's eye. It was gone as quickly as she had spotted, it though. _Was that… A shadow?_ She wondered to herself as she stopped, perplexed. She tripped and fell, grunting. No one was agreeing with her that she was fine, but no one did anything.

"Umm… Your Majesty, shouldn't you be heading towards the hospital?" one servant asked nervously.

Elsa's hand came up and smacked her forehead. "Oh, yes. I'm sorry. I'm just not thinking right, I guess…" She turned to head back towards the gates, but gasped as suddenly something slipped underneath her, knocking her off of her feet. She panicked for a few moments before realizing she was in a wheelchair.

She groaned and placed her head in her hands, not in the mood to argue. At least they weren't carrying her the way Diablo would. Guards wheeled her to the hospital, which only took a few minutes. Servants dropped off eventually, after Elsa dismissed them.

When they reached the hospital, the guards needn't say a word. Doctors had already been preparing for her. A nurse took the handles, thanked the guard, and pushed Elsa over to a ready room. The nurse helped Elsa climb into the bed, since by now Elsa was pretty exhausted, the plague fatiguing her.

The moment she was in the bed, Anna ran in. The cast Phoebe had lent her was adjusted into a much more comfortable and healthy position. "Oh, Elsa! I was so worried about you!" Anna cried, sprinting over to her older sister's bedside.

Elsa smiled gently at Anna, forgetting all about Diablo for the tiniest bit. "Anna, I saw you only ten minutes ago."

"I know, but still… You're sick, so I don't want to be away from you…"

Elsa softly reached over and took Anna's hand in hers, squeezing it soothingly. Anna met Elsa's eyes, and the sisters smiled at each other for a small bit. The nurse had left and now a doctor came in. Everything was silent as the doctor took Elsa's blood pressure, pulse, and temperature.

"Oh, my. This is disturbing!" he exclaimed, examining his observations.

Anna and Elsa shared a worried look. "What is?" Anna was the first one to speak up. The doctor jumped a little bit, as if just realizing they were there.

Expertly, he pushed his glasses higher on his face, his blonde hair shining a little bit in the light. He looked pretty young, but also very experienced as well. "It seems as if Her Majesty's blood pressure is unusually high. I'll have to take a blood sample and run scans on it."

Elsa nodded as the doctor reached into drawers, retrieving the necessary supplies. It didn't take very long for the blood to be transported into a small bag, which was actually sort of gross. Quickly, the doctor bandaged the spot where he had taken the blood. It didn't hurt very much. _At least not as much as having your heart crushed…_ Elsa thought brokenly, her mind wandering back to Diablo. She felt a heavy weight on her heart at the thought of him. _I do still love him… If only he loved me back…_

Anna could somehow tell what her older sister was thinking about. Gently, she pulled Elsa closer to her side of the bed, so Elsa was kind of leaning on her. "I know it hurts… But it will get better I promise…" she whispered comfortingly, squeezing Elsa's hand a little bit.

Elsa nodded numbly, her mind still focused on Diablo. She didn't care that he was cursed. He was still perfect in every way possible. From his gentle eyes to his handsomely dark hair to his lips… Oh god, now Elsa was feeling Diablo's lips on hers again. With her free hand, she reached up and touched a few fingers to her own lips, enjoying the sensation of the memory of the touch of Diablo's mouth, strong and practiced, on her own inexperienced one.

Her thoughts were interrupted as the door opened and closed again. Elsa looked up, expecting a doctor. Instead, she was met with something that made her have to suppress a shriek. Even Anna flinched.

The being was in the shape of a human, and he had dark gray hair. His eyes were red and glowing ever so slightly. His skin was a light gray in color. His skin wasn't wrinkled or rotting like the other shadows' flesh was, though. His skin was actually perfectly smooth. He had a quirky half-smile on his face. He was sort of handsome, in a scary way. He was a shadow; that much was confirmed by his dark, semi-faded figure.

Gracefully, he bowed to the two women who were gawking at him shocked, disgusted, confused, and awed. "Greetings, Queen and Princess of Arendelle. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Asche, at your service."

* * *

**Oh, how I'll have fun with Asche! cx. His name is pronounced 'Ash'. Don't worry, he will have no love affairs with anyone. That doesn't mean he won't be important, though :3.**


	14. Chapter 14

_**Um, I suggest you use a dictionary for the first half of this chapter...**_** xD**

* * *

Anna reacted before thinking, reaching for the nearest thing. She slipped her shoe off and threw it at the shadow. Asche saw it coming, though, and ducked before it hit it. It banged against the wall and he calmly reached over, picking it up. He strode over to Anna and Elsa, where Elsa still had not moved a muscle. He handed the shoe back to Anna. "Here. You might need this."

Anna was shocked into silence as she numbly took her shoe back. "Wh-why… You… Shadow… What?" she was just confusing herself more and more now.

Asche just smiled. "I suggest next time you choose something less esteemed than a shoe. Like that book on the floor." Anna looked at the floor just as Asche flicked his hand and conjured up a dark book. Anna's eyes widened. "Dear girl, perhaps it would appease you if I shed some light upon this darkness," he added with a chuckle.

Anna stared at him with a puzzled expression. She didn't understand his vocabulary. Her expression was guarded and suspicious, though, as he readied himself to delve into the description.

Right as he opened his mouth, though, Elsa shot a ball of ice at him. He sidestepped, easily dodging the ball, and it hit the wall just like Anna's shoe has. "Your Majesty, I would highly welcome your stillness as I elucidate our situation."

By now, even Elsa was slightly confused. Even so, she placed her hand in her lap and glared at Asche with burning fury in her deep blue eyes.

"Now that that is taken care of, it all started two years ago. There was a woman named Tigress who had married. Her husband was named Cougar."

"Does everyone have a predator name?" Anna suddenly cut in.

"Yes, now keep quiet," Asche instructed, thoroughly annoyed. "Anyways, they were deeply in love, One year later, they decided they wanted a child. Tigress had, and still has, the powers of darkness. She shared this trait with Wolf. Cougar had the powers of lightning. Tigress, though, had a body incapable of carrying a child. It was half a year ago when they came to an answer. By then, Tigress had discovered that she could construct shadow beings. After practicing day and night, she could design them perfectly; a feat not even Wolf had accomplished. Tigress suggested the idea she concocted to Cougar, and he thought it was excellent. They would create a child. Tigress channeled every last bit of love she had inside of her into this child. She knew he would be no more than a shadow. They had decided on the age eighteen, for their child would never age. Still, they loved him and treated him as an actual child for four months. That's when they found The Predators. The Predators convinced them and switched them to their side with their beliefs. As expected, The Predators are evil and like to run amuck. They try to kill others with powers so it makes them more special."

Asche paused, taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly. "As you've probably guessed, I was the shadow child. Though Tigress put only love into me, so I simply could not be changed to the dark side. They… They killed Cougar when he protested against one of their ideas… The Predators have been plotting for a long time, but their first action was to implant that disease in your body, Elsa. I still don't apperceive how they deposited it inside of you, though. I suppose you saw me before, huh?" he asked, not expecting anyone to answer. Before Anna could tell him that they never saw him before, his shape transformed. He became Pabbie.

Anna'a eyes were wide with shock. "You were the impersonator…"

Asche just smiled sadly as he switched back to his natural form. "Indeed, I was. Tigress forced me to do it… For the past two months, I've been doing every atrocious deed she has instructed me to do. But I was hiding with Wolf's minions when he fell. I was hiding even afterwards. I saw your agony, and I couldn't help but denunciate myself for it… I'm sorry, I never wanted to hurt anyone…" He trailed off. Then he cleared his throat and continued to speak. "When I returned, I told Tigress everything, because I had to. Tigress is able to differentiate my lies from my truths easily because she composed me. I just couldn't ail anyone else, though. So I told her that I didn't want to be a part of The Predators anymore. Since she is technically my mother, she didn't kill me or disintegrate me. Well, not directly. She was furious. I've never seen her so enraged… She… She disowned me… And I mean that literally. The link between our souls was purposely severed… She was almost completely sure that without her support, I would turn to dust. She was wrong. She distributed too much power into me. I guess… I sort of became my own being. I didn't know what to do… I'd never been my own being before… So I wandered here. I was hoping to find you two. If anyone can succor me, it's you. And I hope I can return the favor somewhere along the line."

Anna and Elsa exchanged a look, calmed down a bit now that they've gotten used to Asche and realized he wasn't out to kill them. Upon closer inspection, one could see a few tears peeking out of Asche's eyes. He tried to hide them, though.

Elsa wasn't convinced, staring at him suspiciously with distrust in her eyes. Anna, though, saw him in a different way. Anna saw him as a lost [u[[y who has been abandoned by his owner, kicked to the curb, and now has nowhere to go. The metaphor melted her heart. Right as Elsa was about to say something, she interrupted. "You can stay at Arendelle!"

Elsa stared at her younger sister, her eyes wide with confusion. Asche's face, though, lit up with excitement at this. He hurried over, shaking their hands with a smile on his face, not knowing what else to do.

He was basically giddy with excitement. "Oh, thank you! Thank you! You will not be disappointed!" he gushed, beyond glad that he found use of his life again. "You see, as a shadow, I have extraordinary talents and abilities. For one, I am extremely intuitive, and have a strong sense of direction. I can navigate myself through any maze, locate anything I'm searching for, and always be able to know the way home. I can also blend into the shadows." He stepped into a corner and quickly faded. He appeared again right next to the bed. "Not to mention I am incredibly strong, believe it or not. That was a trait Tigress gave me specifically. And, as you have seen, I can change my shape and voice."

Elsa suddenly spoke up. "Can you find people?"

Asche nodded enthusiastically. "Oh yes, but I requisite something of them to find them." Elsa sighed, her shoulder's drooping. It was obvious she had nothing. Asche continued, anyways. "I mean, I can find one without a lead, it will just take around half of a day to a day rather than the few hours it needs if I have something to work off of."

Elsa perked up considerably at this new news. Her eyes brightened and she forgot how mad she was at Diablo for leaving her. She just wanted him here. "Can you find one named Diablo? His real name is Xavier Nether. He is the nephew of Wolf. He has hair black as night and one blue eye. His other is completely black and covered by an eye patch. His eye patch is black with a red 'X' stitched into it. Xavier controls the power of light," she involuntarily began to babble, every word ripping at her heart. She stopped to take a breath. The whole time, Anna had been staring blankly at her older sister.

Asche considered this information. "Yes, yes, I think I can locate him… He was the one in the cave, yes? The one that burned up Wolf?" he asked, though he already knew the answer.

Elsa nodded vigorously, a small smile on her face. "Yes, that's him!" she exclaimed while still keeping her voice low enough that she didn't draw attention. She was beyond excited, though. "You need to find him and bring him back here in order for me to trust you."

Asche's face lit up with hope at the thought of earning Elsa's trust. "Very well. I shall leave right away!"

"Wait!" Anna's voice stopped him before he left. He stared at her, puzzled. "You said The Predators, as in plural. You mean to tell me there are… More?"

Asche nodded, a mixture of emotions on his face. "Oh, yes. There are plenty. The leader is Commander Lion, though. Omit him, and everyone will perish." Then he sprinted out of the room, in a rush to find Diablo. Elsa and Anna gawked after him with twin looks of shock and confusion.

"Well… That was… Interesting," Anna offered. Elsa nodded, her eyes still wide.

"Yeah… Hey, Anna…?" she asked warily, biting her lower lip cautiously. "D-do you think he'll be able to find Diablo…?"

Anna sighed, shrugging her shoulders. "In my opinion, I think that you should have faith in him. Don't get too hopeful, though. I don't want you to be all excited just to see that he might not come back with Asche…"

Elsa nodded numbly, and then cracked a small smile as an idea came to her mind. "In my opinion, I think he has too high of a vocabulary."

Anna smiled as well at this. "That's one thing I can agree with you on, big sis."

* * *

Diablo sat on the back of Latte as his horse slimly strode in a random direction, farther away from Arendelle; farther away from Elsa. Diablo sighed. He missed Elsa a lot. He tried to think about something else, but his mind always wandered back to Elsa. He felt an all-too-familiar ache in his chest. It was the ache he felt whenever he thought about _her._

"Five days," he suddenly spoke, his words directed half at Latte and half at himself. "We'll start heading back in five days. I'm sure I'll be a little more over it by then and won't start kissing her the moment I see her…"

He sighed, switching his gaze to the ground. Latte didn't do anything but continued to walk. He stroked her name absently with one hand, his other on the reins. He couldn't help but wonder where Elsa was now. _I bet it's somewhere where she can be happy…_

* * *

Elsa stared blankly at the clock on the wall. She was doing exactly what Anna had done years ago. She was watching the hours tick by. Except in her case, she was watching her life tick by and there was nothing she could do about it but wait. Her hands were absently fiddling with her hair. Anna had left for a little bit to go check on Kristoff, so now Elsa was alone except for the doctors that stepped in every now and then.

She didn't think they had anything that would help. _You'd think that if you were told you only have four days left to live, you would be doing crazy things to make them the best four days of your life. But no. I'm stuck in this awful room with nosy people that never even do anything but talk to each other. Talk about boring._

She made an irritated noise as she couldn't get a knot out of her hair. She threw her hands down in frustration, her shoulders drooping as she tried to decide what to do. _Maybe I'll just sleep until this is over…_ she thought to herself. Ever since Asche had left, time seemed to slow down considerably. _Oh, Asche…_ she mentally thought, as if he could hear her when he really couldn't. _Hurry…_

* * *

**_I had to use a dictionary/thesaurus to write that... o.o. Anyways, I know it's sort of boring without Diablo... It's actually harder to write without him. I promise, he'll be in it more soon! :)_**


	15. Chapter 15

Asche's eyes darted around wildly as he searched for Diablo. It was the day after he'd been sent out, and he'd been running nonstop through the night. Luckily, he didn't have to eat or sleep. He stopped for a second and took in a deep breath, listening to his conscience. Abruptly, he turned to his right. Yes, he was sure his target was this way. He took off again in a full sprint, which was faster than a horse. It didn't take too long for him to be lost again, having to listen to himself once again.

He hissed in annoyance as a bird fluttered around in panic, ending up smashing into his face. Had he not been persistent on finding Diablo, he would have stopped for a quick bite of that bird. But no, he had to keep going.

It was sudden when he felt a sharp pain shoot up his leg. He screeched a banshee's screech, stumbling. He fell to his hands and knees and looked back at his legs. There was a knife buried in his left calf. He had been expecting Anna's attack the day before, but not this one. He had been way too distracted to see it coming. He cursed, irritated, and his red eyes shot up in front of him when he heard footsteps in the snow.

His eye started to glow as he stared up at the man in front of him with hatred in his eyes. He planned to kill this person. Whoever interrupted him from his quest would-

"You! It's you!" he suddenly exclaimed, recognition filling his eyes. Of course, standing right in front of him, blue eye filled with cold disgust, was Diablo. Asche tried to stand up, but fell. Reaching behind him, he pulled the knife out gently, sticking it in the snow. The snow looked as if it was beginning to bleed black as Asche scrambled over to a tree.

He pulled himself up and leaned against the bark as Diablo approached him, more knives in his hands. Diablo had hardly paid attention to what he said. Asche could spot a cream mare not far off, watching her master worriedly. Asche couldn't help but break into a smile. He had actually found Diablo. Or, rather, Diablo had found him. That's when he noticed the man's expression.

_Uh oh,_ Asche thought as he dropped to the ground. Right above him, a knife was stuck in the tree right where his head had been. Asche broke into an easy demeanor once again, his eyes now only glowing slightly. "Now now, that's not a very charming introduction. Oh, 'stick a knife in his leg and he definitely won't try to kill you!'"

Diablo raised one eyebrow, his one visible eye still cold. He wasn't attacking again yet, though. "So, why aren't you killing me?" he asked. He knew he was probably pushing his luck, but he didn't care at the moment.

Asche just glanced down at his leg and flicked his wrist at it. Darkness seeped out of his fingers and danced around his leg before tightening into a nice little cast, absorbing the black blood that had wet it. Diablo was starting to get frustrated and preparing to kill him when Asche answered. "What an easy question. You are valuable to my quest." Then, he took a step forward. He had a small limp, but it was good enough. Quickly, with practiced finesse, he removed Diablo's eye patch and ducked, rolling on the ground.

Diablo, surprised, threw knives where Asche had just been. Asche popped right back up onto his legs. Asche grabbed Diablo's wrists and leaned in close, examining the black eye.

"Yes, it really is you… Oh, she'll be proud of me!" he exclaimed, his blood-colored eyes shining as he stepped back, releasing Diablo's wrists. Nonchalantly, he handed the eye patch back to Diablo, who rushed to secure it around his head again.

Once Diablo had his eye patch on once more, he noticed he only had one knife left in his hand. He held it in front of him in a defensive position as he turned to face Asche, his visible blue eye skeptical. "What do you mean? Who will be proud of you?"

Asche switched his gaze away, thinking about what to say first. He could answer the second question first. "Queen Elsa will be proud of me, of course. Who else would it be?"

Diablo's eyes widened and he began to shake a tiny bit at the mention of her name. Asche continued as if all of the color hadn't drained from Diablo's face. "You see, my name is Asche. I am an exceptional shadow. I am the most intuitive shadow, and I am not evil. Put an underline under that not. I went to Queen Elsa and Princess Anna when my master disowned me. Princess Anna trusted me immediately, but Queen Elsa didn't. She said that if I were to earn her trust, I would have to find you and bring you back."

Diablo gawked at Asche, his eyes wide as he tried to process this. "Wh-why would she want me there…?"

"Because she loves you. I can see it in the way she talks about you. She hesitates ever so slightly before saying your name and she always gets this look of longing and pain in her eyes when she does. She needs you."

Diablo's knife clattered to the ground as he took a step back. "N-no… She doesn't n-need me… I just… I don't want to hurt her… If I'm anywhere near her, I'm going to hurt her…"

"You're hurting her more by not being there." Asche's words just about pierced through Diablo's heart.

"I can't go back there… I can't risk hurting her even more than I already have..." Diablo sighed, staring at the ground and shaking his head sadly. "She doesn't need me. She never needed me. She just thinks that she needs me…"

Diablo was jolted back into reality when Asche's hand smacked into his face. Diablo jerked back, surprised, and rubbed his red cheek. "Do _NOT_ talk like that!" Asche's voice was suddenly filled with rage as he stepped closer to Diablo. His eyes were filled with red fury. "She does need you! I can see it as clearly as if I was staring through glass! Now, you have two choices. You can willingly come back with me, or I can force you, because I don't want you to be the one to make the last three days of her life the worst ever!"

Diablo flinched at the strength in Asche's voice, staring at the shadow as if he'd burned him. _Three days left? No… That can't be right…_ he thought to himself. _She has to have more time than that…_ "A-are you sure she only has three days left…?"

Asche nodded vigorously. "As sure as I am that I'm a shadow. The trolls told them, but even before then, I could tell because of my near psychic abilities. She needs you, Diablo, and you have to be there for her." His voice was gentler now. "So, get your horse and let's go."

* * *

The screams from inside of the hospital room attracted around ten doctors. Inside, Elsa was clutching her head, her fourth attack finally having come. Anna was sitting next to her, gently stroke her big sister's smooth, silky hair with her uninjured arm because she didn't know what else to do. Anna was more than relieved when doctors quickly began to assess the situation.

"Calm down, screaming will only keep you conscious longer," one of the doctors, a female in her mid-forties, stressed. "It'll be better when you're unconscious. You won't feel the pain then."

"No!" Elsa screeched. "I need him! I-I can't do it without him!" she gasped, squeezing her eyes so tight that tears had to squish their way out of them.

By now, Anna was thoroughly scared for her older sister's safety. Her concern intensified when Elsa's skin did something unusual. It began to crack. Anna's eyes widened and she had to suppress a scream, her gaze fixed on the small holes that were appearing in Elsa's flesh. "Elsa! Your skin!" Elsa hadn't even heard Anna over the pounding in her head. Blood began to ooze out of them, and doctors hurried to catch some of the droplets in tiny plastic cups for future research.

The fourth attack was much worse than the other ones, especially with the added pain of her shattering skin. Elsa groaned as a blinding light flashed in her vision. Her voice ended there, her screams now silent as pain crashed through her body like never imagined before. She wasn't in a good mood to say the least.

Anna just continued to run her hand soothingly over Elsa's platinum blonde hair, whispering calming words every now and then. "It's okay… Asche will bring him back; I'm sure of it…" she said softly, making Elsa flinch as she realized who her younger sister was talking about.

Elsa gave the tiniest nod of her head since her voice was still vanished; chased away by her pain and shrieks. She wished that Diablo could be there that instant to help her through this, but she somehow knew that they weren't close enough. That is, if Diablo didn't kill Asche before he could explain. Elsa flinched at the thought, her eyes tight again.

Suddenly, she relaxed. Her body crumpled into a heap as the plague knocked her into a state of unconsciousness. She still had blood seeping out of the holes in her skin, but she was breathing. Her breathing was sort of shallow, but it was still there.

Anna calmed down a bit when Elsa fell unconscious, but she was still fretting over the whole skin-shattering-blood-dripping incident. That had never happened in any of Elsa's other attacks, and it was obvious that the highly trained doctors were puzzled over it as well. Doctors began to file out until there was only around two left. They sat in chairs at the end of the room. One was a male and the other was a female. Anna readjusted Elsa's position so that she was lying on her back.

It was about ten minutes later when Elsa came to again. It was the shortest amount of time between unconsciousness and consciousness she'd had. Then again, the time periods were getting lesser and lesser as the disease progressed.

Anna was startled to see her sister stirring so soon after she'd fallen unconscious, but she got over her initial shock easily. "Hey," she whispered softly, a small, sad smile on her face as she stared down at her big sister.

Elsa just blinked blearily at her sister. She tried to speak, but her voice just wanted to squeak. One of the doctors walked over with a glass of water. Elsa accepted it gratefully, drinking it thirstily. Since she had awoken not long after she had been knocked out, she still had a pounding headache. It was better than the actual attack though. "Where's Diablo?" was the first question out of her mouth when she could speak.

Anna's eyes saddened and she shook her head. "Asche and him haven't arrived yet…"

Anna knew that Elsa had no clue how short of a time she's been out, so she decided not to be the one that told her. Elsa visibly sagged, slumping against the bed, her shoulders drooping. Anna rested her left hand on Elsa's arm in a reassuring way.

"I'm going to die." Elsa said it in a statement form, closing her eyes in an attempt to block out her aching head. Anna didn't know what to say, since she also believed the same thing.

That's when the female doctor walked over to them. "Not necessarily," she responded, making Elsa open her eyes and stare at the her, confused. "There is one procedure we could try. It's not guaranteed though, and there are risks. We are 99% sure that it will push back your final attack until we can think of something much more effective."

Anna's eyes widened with excitement. "That's wonderful! You have to do it now!" she insisted, fueled by the thought of her big sister surviving this.

"No." Elsa's one simple word shocked everyone, and all three of them stared at her, beyond confused. "No," she repeated. "Not without Diablo."

Anna groaned and buried her head in her hands. "Why must you make it so difficult, Elsa?"

Elsa answered the question easily, her voice like stab wounds to everyone's hearts. "Because no life is worth living without him."

* * *

_**Aww, poor Elsa! x-x. Anyways, this was a sort of sad, but mostly fun chapter for me to write o.o. Credit to bandgeek63 for the idea of slapping some sense into Diablo cx.**_


	16. Chapter 16

"Hurry!" Diablo urged Asche to push even harder.

Asche hissed in annoyance. "If I make us go any faster, I'll be knocked out and we'll all fall!" he growled, but still concentrated even harder. They'd been traveling all night. Elsa had two days left. They had mostly been running, but then Asche had conjured up a brilliant idea. Now Asche, Diablo, and Latte were all riding on a cloud. Literally, a cloud. It was a black cloud of darkness being controlled by Asche, but still a cloud.

Latte was lying in the middle of it, her head on her legs. It had taken forever to get the horse on the cloud when it was on the floor. Diablo finally cracked her by having Asche create a dark cookie and tossing it onto the cloud, where the mare happily galloped after to get it. It was when they were rising when she realized she'd been tricked. They had stayed close to the ground for a few minutes before Asche decided that it would be must easier to navigate in the sky. Diablo peeked over the edge every now and then out of nerves.

Asche had tried to reassure him that even if he did fall down, Asche could always conjure another cloud to catch him, but Diablo was still jumpy. Luckily, he was beginning to calm down. Asche, on the other hand, was stressed out and had a small headache from having to continuously push the cloud as fast as he could.

Diablo now sat next to Asche, watching him. Something seemed… Familiar about him. "Have I bet you before yesterday?" he asked suddenly, puzzled.

Asche shook his head, letting the cloud slow down a tiny bit. "No, but you should," he replied through gritted teeth. He was pushing himself to the limit because he saw something special in Elsa, and because he knew something about Diablo that no one else knew. Plus, he loved it when people found their true loves.

Diablo cocked his head, confused. "Why should I?"

Asche gasped and made the cloud dip lower to avoid a flock of birds. He cursed at them, but then returned his attention to keeping them fast. He answered Diablo without even blinking an eye. "We're cousins."

Diablo was shocked at how blunt Asche's answer was. "What? No, I don't have a cousin…"

Asche nodded while still maintaining their fast speed. "Of course you do. I'm right here. Does the name 'Aunt Tigress' ring a bell?" he asked, struggling a little bit. Keeping the cloud at this speed was draining strength out of him, and his skin was already paler.

Diablo was starting to say no, when a bell did ring in his head. "Yes. She was my father's only sister. I remember him mentioning her once or twice, but I never met her?"

"That's because she had darkness powers, like Uncle Wolf. Well, she created me. So basically, she's like my mother. That also means that your father, my Uncle Arthur, tried to keep her and me a secret from you. Obviously, he couldn't save you from Uncle Wolf, but still… Technically, we would be credited as cousins…" he trailed off, focusing now on pushing the cloud faster. He could almost feel Elsa's life tick away.

Another question popped into Diablo's mind. "Why was my father named Arthur while his siblings were named after wild animals?"

Asche paused for a split second, making the cloud lurch. "Sorry. Well, our grandfather wasn't always as corrupt as he was when he died. He used to be congenial. You remember him, right? Grandpa Smith? I'm sure you've encountered him a couple of times. Anyways, your father was his eldest child. He wasn't foul when your father was born. When your father was two, Grandpa Smith and Grandma Phalea came upon The Predators. They named their second child Tigress, and their third Wolf. They planned for their children to be as execrable as they. When Uncle Arthur was eight, though, Tigress was six, and Wolf was two, they accidentally entombed themselves in the Earth in an attempt to gain more power. Their three children were abandoned. Wolf was found by The Predators. Arthur escaped with his baby sister. They kept together for the next few years, but an abhorrent blizzard due them apart. Wolf encountered his brother, and they lived together, though their views differed completely. They were still brothers. Eventually, their beliefs overpowered their familial relationship, and they found themselves thinking the other an anathema to himself. Then you were born. Your mother handed you over to your father and fled, too petrified by Wolf's magic. Uncle Arthur and Uncle Wolf decided to work together just to raise you. But Uncle Wolf's greed rose too high. I think you understand what happens from there…"

Diablo nodded, though his mind was reeling from this new information. "Do you know everything?"

Asche couldn't help but smile a little bit at this. "Kind of," he replied vaguely, his smile growing a bit. To be honest, he didn't know everything, but he knew a lot.

The two fell into a comfortable and welcome silence, neither of them knowing what to say. Diablo was leaning precariously over the edge when suddenly Arendelle, in all its glory, came into view. "There it is!" he gasped, excited. Then, what was going to happen fully hit him. He was going to see Elsa again. What if it was all an act and she hated him? He groaned, burying his face in his hands at the thought.

Asche quickly began to channel his magic into getting them safely on the ground. His skin was a pale gray now and he was trembling ever so slightly from getting them there so fast, but he was still conscious.

Asche would have messed with Diablo and made them drop a hundred feet if Latte weren't still on there. Instead, he instructed the cloud to float gently down. It didn't take long for them to drift down to the ground, and when they did, Latte was the first one off. Diablo followed suit, with Asche hopping off last, nearly falling with his stabbed leg. He snapped his fingers and the cloud dissolved. "Alright. Time to go see Elsa."

* * *

"Why aren't they here yet?" Elsa complained, burying her face in her hands. She'd already thrown up twice that day. Once was on herself, which was disgusting and caused the doctors to hand her new clothes to change into, and the second time was in a bucket. The doctors were more prepared for the second time. Still, Elsa felt awful.

Anna sighed, reaching over with her left hand and removing Elsa's hands, placing them on the Queen's lap. "They'll be here soon, I promise," she told her big sister. Still, she mentally added, _I hope…_

Anna had to remove Elsa's hands from her face at least ten times within the last hour. Elsa never argued when she took them away, but she never put them down herself, neither. Elsa had been fidgety all day, stressing full-out about where they were and when they'd get there. If they were even alive. Anna had attempted several times to calm her older sister down, but to no avail.

"What if they're not coming? What if Diablo refused? Wh-what if Diablo killed Asche before he could explain!?" Elsa gasped, her hands automatically coming up to her face. Anna brought them back down, but even Anna couldn't stop the tears beginning to fall down Elsa's cheeks.

Anna rested her hand on top of Elsa's colder ones. "It'll be alright, Elsa. Stop worrying so much. If you cry you're going to make me cry. You know I hate it when you cry. Just trust me when I say they'll be here soon… Okay?"

Elsa nodded a tiny bit, taking in a shaky breath. She forced her tears back, blinking them away. "Okay… I trust you, Anna…"

"Good."

It was then that a horrible idea came to Elsa's mind. "Wait!" she cried out, tears threatening to form again. "What if the reason he left me is because he doesn't love me? What if he hates me? I don't know what I would do if he hates me! Wh-what if he _wants_ me to die?" she was trembling from the possibilities. "What if-"

"Elsa, look!" Anna suddenly exclaimed. Elsa's gaze had been on her hands, but when she looked up, she froze, her eyes wide. Nervously, she shrunk back into her bed.

Elsa was staring straight into the Diablo's deep blue eye, his eye patch on again. Now that their first encounter since he left her was finally here, she was extremely anxious. He, on the other hand, felt calmer somehow. He was leaning against the wall, smiling gently at her. "H-how long have you been here?" she asked, stuttering slightly.

Diablo's smile remained. "About fifteen minutes, give or take a few," he answered with a shrug. He carefully started walking towards the bed. Elsa was trembling a little bit by now. He crouched down by her bed and took one of her hands in his, his father's voice helping him out a little bit along the way. "I don't hate you, Elsa… I could never hate you…"

Elsa nodded a tiny bit, but her eyes were still glossy from tears that she tried to hold back. "B-but why did you l-leave me, then…?" she asked, one or two stray tears spilling.

Diablo looked Elsa straight in the eyes when he answered, his voice filled with sorrow, regret, and loss. "Because I wanted to protect you… I wanted to protect you from myself…"

"I don't care if you're dangerous. I don't care if you hurt me. I don't care if you kill me, as long as I die with you…" Elsa whispered, 0and then she leaned in and pressed her lips to his. Diablo was startled at first, but he couldn't stop himself. He kissed her back.

Away from them, Anna and Asche gave each other a high five. Elsa wrapped her arms around him and Diablo wrapped his around her, both of them kissing harder. Elsa savored in the fact that Diablo still tasted exactly like he smelled; cinnamon mixed with lavender.

The kiss was over too soon and they had to pull back, breathing hard. Elsa gently reached up with one hand and removed Diablo's eye patch so that she was staring straight into his eyes. He flinched, but didn't stop her. She gazed into his eyes, a small smile on her face. For the past few days, she had been longing to be with him again. Now that he was back… She knew that she was willing to die if it means being with him. "Never leave again… Okay?"

Diablo nodded, giving a small smile. Elsa returned the smile. "Okay…"

"Do you promise?"

"I promise."

"I really hate to ruin the mood, but is everyone forgetting that Elsa's dying?" Asche suddenly interrupted, crossing over to them. "I'm not sure making out will fix that," he added, placing a hand on Diablo's shoulder and pushing him back a little bit.

Diablo sighed; he had forgotten that small little detail. "Oh, right…" his gaze flicked to the ground, his heart aching at the thought of losing Elsa forever this time. She only had two days left…

"No no, I'm fine…" Elsa was cut off by a small cough, just an aftereffect of her attack the day before. "Oh! I just remembered! Anna, go tell the doctors that I'm ready. Diablo's here and well, so they can start the procedure," she instructed, her eyes twinkling. Anna nodded, rushing out to find a doctor. Diablo stared at her in confusion, so she tried to explain. "I wouldn't let them do it without you."

Diablo smacked his hand to his forehead, shaking his head a little bit. "Elsa, that's so stupid. You shouldn't put your life on the line just because I'm an idiot."

Elsa's smile widened a little bit. "First of all, my life is already on the line because I'm sick. Second of all, yes, you are an idiot. But third of all, you're _my_ idiot."

* * *

_**Oh, the Elsablo feels! 333. Credit to Snow White Misery for the idea of Asche and Diablo being cousins :).**_


	17. Chapter 17

Diablo was biting his already-bitten nails out of nerves, sitting in a chair next to Elsa's bed. His knee was bouncing out of anxiety, and he couldn't help but think over and over how Elsa was supposed to die tomorrow. She still would if the procedure didn't work. They wouldn't know if the procedure worked or not until Elsa woke up. Anna had gone out to purchase chocolates for when Elsa woke up. Anna also told them that she was going to wander around a little bit with Kristoff. In truth, she just couldn't bear to see Elsa unconscious, barely breathing.

Diablo couldn't leave, though. Not again. Asche was leaning against a wall, making small shadows in the palm of his right hand out of boredom. Asche's strength had regenerated over the night, but he was still concerned for Elsa. He was just better at hiding it. He flicked his gaze over to Elsa. The Queen was unconscious. If one didn't know she was supposed to die tomorrow, and if one didn't notice her shallow breathing, one would think she looked peaceful. Asche smiled a little bit at the thought and tried to imagine Elsa's slumber as peaceful, forcing all thoughts of her disease out of his mind.

Yes, she definitely looked peaceful. But then, the reminders of her plague came back to him. He sighed and crossed over to Diablo. He rested one gray hand on his cousin's shoulder. Diablo didn't even flinch. "Come on, Diablo. Let's go for a walk." Diablo looked at Asche, then back at Elsa uncertainly. "She'll be alright. Trust me."

Diablo nodded and stood up, glancing back at Elsa one last time before following Asche out of the door. It didn't take long for them to be out of the hospital and out into the wintry afternoon. Diablo watched the snowflakes fall and it only made him think about Elsa. "Why did you want to bring me out here?" He complained.

"Shush. I'll tell you once we get there." Asche replied, taking Diablo's wrist and leading him down a path. Diablo asked where they were going every few minutes, but Asche never told him. It didn't take long for them to reach the docks. Asche grabbed Diablo by the shoulders and placed him near the edge which he limped away. His limp wasn't as obvious as it was when it was new, though.

Just as Diablo opened his mouth to ask a question, Asche held out a hand, stopping him. "Don't question me." Diablo nodded, and Asche flicked his wrist at the empty wood next to Diablo. Darkness swirled in a little ball, and then came into a form.

Diablo couldn't help but smile a tiny bit as the shadowy puppy jumped into his arms. "How did you know I'd always wanted a puppy?" he asked Asche.

The shadow just shrugged. "I know everything. I'm sorry he's not incarnate, but I figured you needed cheering up. I was hoping this would help. Now that you're feeling greater, I can do this," he replied with a mischievous grin on his face. The puppy dissolved, and a gust of darkness knocked into Diablo. He gasped as he fell into the ice.

"Ha! You forget that it's winter, and there is ice to save me!" he taunted his shadowy cousin.

Asche thought about this, and then smirked. Diablo was struggling onto his feet, though the ice was slippery. "Ha! You forget that I'm magic," he countered, snapping his fingers. A small dark hammer appeared and gently tapped the ice. Diablo braced himself, but nothing came. He was just about to say some smart-aleck comment when suddenly the ice cracked beneath him.

Diablo gasped as he fell into the ice-cold water. "Cold! Cold! Cold!" he gasped, throwing his arms out onto the ice, attempting and failing to come out. He was spewing water from his mouth as well, while Asche was standing safely on the docks, cracking up.

Asche wiped at invisible tears of laughter, extremely humored. "Here, need a hand?" he offered, still smiling, as he gently walked to the edge and hopped onto the ice, landing lightly. He walked over to where Diablo was, not even slipping once. He extended his hand to Diablo, where Diablo stared at it.

An idea popped into Diablo's mind and he grinned, taking Asche's hand with one of his. Then, before Asche could pull him up, Diablo jerked his hand back, making Asche fall into the water with him.

"Ah!" Asche shouted in surprise, his eyes wide as he was thrown by his cousin into the freezing cold water. He struggled to get his arms onto the ice as well, sputtering uncontrollably. He was shivering and his teeth were chattering as he hauled himself out of the water and onto the ice, where he splayed his arms out and lay on his stomach on the smooth surface, drenched in water. Even shadows get cold.

Diablo pulled himself out as well, laughing. "You're right, Asche. This did cheer me up!" he exclaimed, smiling.

Asche smirked at Diablo, still splayed out on his stomach, and pushed his cousin back into the water.

Diablo called out in protest, but was laughing as he dragged himself out again. Asche stood up, still shivering slightly, but then he suddenly jumped, his eyes wide.

"What's wrong?" Diablo asked as Asche immediately began running, jumping back into the docks and sprinting as fast as he could towards the hospital.

"It's Elsa; I can sense something is happening!"

* * *

The window creaked open. The woman mentally congratulated herself when it was open. Now came the real hard part. She hauled herself up onto the windowsill, and slid down to the floor. _Huh, that was easier than I was expecting…_ she thought to herself. She stood up, brushing back her orange hair. She had black stripes tattooed into her bangs. Her golden-colored eyes shone in the light of the hospital room. Swiftly, she slipped her hood onto her head, hiding her hair from view, even though there was no one except for Elsa in the room.

_Remember, she needs to die. You can't let her body overcome the disease,_ she reminded herself as she gently flicked imaginary dust off of the knees of her smooth black pants. She hitched the collar of her black leather jacket higher, walking in quick, graceful strides over to where Queen Elsa of Arendelle was unconscious.

She repeated her instructions over and over in her head as she tugged off her right glove. It was black with a blood-red symbol on it. The symbol was a circle that had a fang inside of it. She folded her glove on the bedside table and easily conjured up a writhing ball of darkness in her palm.

She maneuvered it over to the Queen so it was hovering over Elsa's pale forehead, her palm face down. The woman smiled to herself. Yes, this would be easy. Softly, she began to chant.

"_Sister of the Warm_

_Blizzard blue eyes_

_Guardian of the Storm_

_A life filled with lies."_

The darkness squirmed with her every word, waiting impatiently to be released.

"_Mother of the Snow_

_Under complete control_

_Bearer of the Woe_

_Let the disease take toll."_

She tensed up; she could hear footsteps approaching. She had to hurry and finish up.

_"__Daughter of the Ice_

_Plague-ridden face_

_Payer of the Price_

_A Death Sentence I place."_

Suddenly, she lowered her hand onto the Queen's forehead. Elsa grimaced as the darkness entered her body, tossing and turning a little bit. The woman just kept smiling to herself, though. Her deed was done. She gasped as the footsteps became increasingly louder. She bolted from the room, just having enough time to close the window before she fled. What she didn't know, though, is that she forgot her glove.

She sped across the snow, basking in her triumph. She realized she was missing her glove and her spirits sank, but it was too late now. She removed her other glove and conjured up a dark gate. She opened it, stepping through. On the other side was a completely different scenery, though. She destroyed the gate, looking around at the room she was in.

It had dark blue brick walls and stone flooring underneath. She walked calmly over to a doorway. She slipped her mask that was connected to her jacket onto her face, so it covered her nose and mouth. This was simply necessary when talking to _him._

She opened the door and walked in, closing the door firmly behind her. This room had desks in it, with people scribbling information down on papers. Everyone looked up and saluted her before returning to work. She padded, graceful as a cat, over to a new door. She raised her hand to knock, her long fingernails digging into her palm. Luckily, she didn't feel pain. She was interrupted from a voice that emanated from inside.

"You may come in."

She opened the door and stepped inside, immediately straightening her back as she made her way over to the chair that had its back to her. The chair spun around and she was faced with a man who had golden fur covering his skin. His hair was puffy and extended around his neck. His glowing amber eyes were like that of a cat. He smiled, fangs showing from inside of his mouth. He crossed his arms, his claws clutching onto his fur.

"Commander Lion," she greeted him, bowing her head in respect. He was the most advanced Predator there was. He was basically a lion that wore clothes and walked on two legs. When Tigress first joined The Predators, Commander Lion had acted like a father to her. He believes that she inherited much power from her parents. She loved him like a father, and he saw something special in her.

He didn't waver. "Welcome back, Deputy Tigress. Is the job complete?" he asked, his voice deep and seeming to rumble from deep within his chest.

Tigress nodded, now looking Commander Lion in the eye. He hated it when one cowered away. Acts of respect didn't count as cowardice, though. "Yes. It is complete. I placed the Death Sentence in her head, and it will travel down to her heart. I reckon she has until tomorrow before it will pierce her."

Commander Lion's feline smile widened. "Good. Now, your reward." He flicked one paw-like hand at Tigress and she glanced down at her rear end.

Extending from right above her bottom was a long tiger's tail. She smiled. "Thank you."

Commander Lion scraped one claw on the bottom of his chair, drawing her attention back to him. "Take your hood off. Show some Predator pride, child," he commanded.

Tigress nodded, reaching up with her own clawed hands and slipping her hood off. She also took the mask off. Her tiger ears unfolded and she twitched them a little bit. She earned her ears about a month ago; her human ears were gone. She was special. No other Predator could have accomplished this much within a span of two months. That's why she was Commander Lion's deputy. It was then that she noticed that her mouth felt different. Commander Lion handed her a mirror, and she opened her mouth, gasping. She now had fangs as well. She bared them at Commander Lion, and he nodded in approval.

"Very nice, darling. Now, all we have to do is wait for the Death Sentence to take its toll."

* * *

Asche and Diablo burst into Elsa's hospital room. Diablo ran to Elsa's bedside while Asche looked around for whatever had caused him to get the uneasy feeling he did. He didn't see anything, though. Neither did Diablo.

Diablo turned on his cousin, his teeth showing. "What? What's here? Nothing! You scared me for no reason! If this was another attempt at trying to cheer me up with a joke, it didn't work! You only terrified me half to death!" He was having a hard time holding himself back from tackling Asche.

That's when Asche gasped, his eyes catching side of the nightstand next to Elsa's bed. He crossed over and grabbed the glove that was there, ignoring Diablo. He examined it. It was extremely familiar. He lifted it to his nose and inhaled its scent. The smell was overwhelming and made Asche stumble back, dropping the glove and jerking away from it, staring at it as if it had electrified him.

"What? What is that?" Diablo asked, walking over and bending down to pick it up.

Asche immediately jumped to where Diablo was, smacking his shoulder. "Don't touch it!" he exclaimed, Diablo backed away from it and stood up, staring at Asche, puzzled. "I-It's Tigress's glove… As in evil Tigress's glove… Even look at the symbol! It's the symbol of The Predators!"

Diablo gasped as he, too, recognized the marking. "What… What does that mean…?" he whispered.

Asche glanced up at Diablo, locking eyes with his cousin. "She never would have left it on purpose. She must have been in a rush. Which means she was doing something that she couldn't afford being caught doing. Which leaves only three options. One, she killed Elsa. Two, she attempted but failed to kill Elsa. Or three, which is the one I believe most by the fact that Elsa's skin is graying by now… She placed a Death Sentence on Elsa."

* * *

_**Yay! Drama! Huge glance into the life of The Predators! Even though Elsa was unconscious for all of it and Anna was gone, we did get to see some cousin bonding time :3.**_


	18. Chapter 18

Tigress walked calmly out of Lion's office, smiling to herself. She flicked her tail once proudly, before holding it high. Yes, she was definitely in a good mood. She had been waiting a while for her tail, and now she was glad that she had it. She was heading towards her study when chanting erupted from the other side of the room. "Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!"

Tigress glanced behind her and sighed when she caught sight of two Predator Trainees squaring off in a corner. There was a reasonable crowd watching. Tigress gracefully, with feline-like steps, padded over to where they were.

"It's Deputy Tigress!" one of the onlookers shouted and immediately dropped his feathered head in respect, taking a step away from Tigress.

Tigress smiled at him. "Thank you, Owl. Now, what is this commotion about?" she asked, though she already knew the answer. Still, that was her code for 'Get the heck out of my way before I claw your face off'. The Predators obeyed, parting to let Tigress through. Tigress waked to face the two that were facing off and breathing heavily. She gasped when she realized that one of them was bleeding from a scratch on his arm.

"Oh, my! Trainee Coyote, Trainee Fox, what is this about! Stop this immediately! We do not allow uncivilized actions to be done in The Predators!" she exclaimed, feeling furious with them both. "And Trainee Fox, how _dare_ you scratch Trainee Coyote like that? You just earned your claws; don't make me convince Commander Lion to take them away!"

The one known as Trainee Fox flinched, but didn't waver any more than that. Titles were important in The Predators. "So what if I scratched him? He said that my dreams of someday maybe becoming Commander are stupid," he growled, narrowing his eyes dangerously.

Trainee Coyote's coyote ears flattened and he snarled in response to Trainee Fox's eye narrowing. "That's 'cuz they are! You don't even have your fox ears yet, let alone your fur or tail!" he snapped in reply, his voice seeming to take on the throaty quality of a growl. "Not to mention your voice is still normal!"

Tigress stared disbelievingly at the two Trainees. They were known for sharing a strong dislike for the other, but never this much… Tigress sighed once more; she'd never seen two sixteen year old boys with so much hate for each other. Except for when Arthur had one time accidentally run into Wolf… But then again, Wolf had been ten at the time. That was when she was alone. She was fourteen, but she had found them in a clearing. After they nearly killed each other, she had run off. She shook her head a tiny bit to relieve the memory. Just in time, too, because right then, Trainee Coyote leapt forward and snapped at Trainee Fox. Trainee Fox dodged, though. "Enough!" Tigress suddenly shouted, making the boys pause and turn towards her.

Tigress scanned the crowd, but finally came across who she wanted to find. "Warrior Tarantula, help me out," she commanded. The man broke away from the crowd, nodding. He had six arms and two legs. His skin was covered in bristly brown fur, and he had short brown hair on the top of his head. He blinked his eight eyes at her in unison before reaching her. He didn't have everything, though. No one was able to have everything except for the Commander. Warrior Tarantula was missing his voice altercation.

Tigress then walked over to Trainee Coyote, who had just about been ready to attack Trainee Fox again. She wrapped her arms around him from behind and hauled him backwards. He tried to struggle, but she dug her claws into his stomach, making him yelp and stop resisting. Warrior Tarantula then proceeded to do the exact same for Trainee Fox, except he wrapped all six of his arms around the trainee.

"Let them fight." The throaty, purr-like voice startled Tigress. Commander Lion walked into the crowd, a feline smile on his face. Everyone except for Tigress, Warrior Lion, Trainee Fox, Trainee Coyote, and of course Commander Lion hitched up their hoods and masks out of pure respect. Tigress stared at Commander Lion blankly. "I said, let them fight."

Tigress's face remained clueless. "But, sir, this is against the Trainee rules, clearly stated in-"

"Deputy Tigress, I said let them fight," Commander Lion repeated one last time. "If they want to prove they are worthy by fighting, then let them."

Reluctantly, Tigress and Warrior Tarantula let go of Trainee Fox and Trainee Coyote. The two trainees sprung on each other like they were magnets. There was an awful concoction of snarling, growling, and yelps of pain sounding throughout the whole room. The whole crowd was horrified. Tigress was much more horrified than the rest of them, though.

It was when Trainee Coyote was on top of Trainee Fox when it happened. Trainee Fox was smothered in his own blood, cuts all over him. Before anyone could stop Trainee Coyote, he reached down and sunk his newly gifted fangs into Trainee Fox's throat.

Tigress gasped and, ignoring Commander Lion's previous orders, rushed in to the little invisible circle, throwing Trainee Coyote off of Trainee Fox. Trainee Coyote snarled at her, but she bared her even sharper fangs at him, making him whimper and fall back. She quickly bent down to Trainee Fox. She checked his wrist, since his neck was too bloody. "He has no pulse! And he's not breathing!" she gasped, horrified.

She had known Trainee Fox well. He was always so nice and respectful, and she'd taken a little bit of a liking to him. Suddenly, an anguished cry sounded from the crowd. She had tannish-golden fur covering her whole body, with her Predator leggings and jacket on. She had the ears of a big cat, and her eyes were feline. She had a tail swinging behind her and sharp claws on her hands. "No!" she screeched.

"Healer Puma," Tigress acknowledged the woman softly as Healer Puma rushed to Trainee Fox's side. Tigress knew Healer Puma vaguely. She didn't go into the infirmary often. Still, she knew that Healer Puma was very experienced, missing only her fangs, and that she was Trainee Fox's mother. "I am deeply sorry that this has happened. You saw, I tried to stop them…"

Healer Puma took in a shuddering breath, tears beginning to streak through her fur. "i-I know… There is only one to blame here… _Him!_" she shrieked, turning to face Commander Lion, claws outstretched. "You killed my son! You… You fiend!"

Commander Lion simply shrugged. "He should have fought harder. Now, for your rude name-calling, I will allow you to join your son," he replied nonchalantly, flicking one hand at her. She gasped, clutched her head and falling to the floor. She screamed as she became nothing more than ashes.

Tigress jumped back suddenly, her eyes wide. Everyone slowly began to file out as guards took Trainee Coyote to the infirmary. Soon, Tigress was left with Healer Puma's ashes. She rushed over to the dust, spreading it out. She'd done this before. She could do it again. Softly, she began to whisper. "Ashes rise from your tomb. Become one with me. A savior I shall be. Ashes rise from your tomb."

It was the same chant she'd used to bring Asche to life out of ashes. She figured if she'd made her son out of ashes, he would be purer of heart, and clearer of mind. Except when bringing him to life, she used the word 'mother' instead of 'savior'.

Just like with Asche, Healer Puma's ashes slowly began to rise. They expanded, connecting together. Slowly, Healer Puma was put back together again. Except she was completely, utterly human. Her tannish gold hair fell down to her lower back in waves, but she seemed completely human otherwise.

She gasped her first breath since she died, opening her eyes wide. "Y-you saved my life…" she breathed out.

Tigress simply smiled in return. "Don't mention it. Now, if Commander Lion sees you here, he'll freak. You have to leave, now." Healer Puma didn't argue, nodding. "Alright, now. Come on Healer Puma-"

"Don't call me that," Healer Puma snapped. Tigress was shocked, but waited for Healer Puma to continue. "I am not Healer Puma. Not anymore. I don't want to be a Predator, or even have the title of a Predator. From now on, I want to be called… Free. Yes, Free. For now I am free of Commander Lion's grasp. Thank you, Deputy Tigress, but now I must go."

Tigress nodded in return. "Whatever you say, Free." Her smile widened a little bit, placing a smile upon Free's face. Tigress stood up and conjured up a dark gate. She opened it. "By all means, welcome to your new life," she bowed in respect as Free grinned wider, walking through the doorway.

* * *

"She's waking up!" Diablo gasped as Elsa groaned, stirring slightly. It was the day that was supposed to be Elsa's fifth attack, and that made everyone jumpy.

Elsa opened her eyes, her vision at first unfocused. Then it focused, and a smile crept onto her face at the sight of Diablo, Anna, Asche, and Kristoff in her room. "Where's Olaf?" she asked, her voice hoarse. They were missing the little bundle of joy.

Kristoff smiled. "He's at his igloo. His flurry kind of disappeared when you fell unconscious."

Elsa sighed, smacking her forehead with her hand. "God. I'll have to fix that," she mumbled. And then she was nearly pounced on. She gasped as Diablo immediately took her face in his hands, searching her eyes. She got over her initial shock and realized it was him, her smile sprouting again. "Hello," she greeted him warmly, then leaned in and pressed her lips to his. She savored the kiss while it lasted, but it was over too soon.

"Kay then. Enough kissing. I'd like to see my sister who, you know, I've known my whole life." Diablo was pushed back by Anna. Anna's blue eyes were bright and cheerful as she took Diablo's place, but instead hugging Elsa instead of kissing. "Elsa, I missed you so much…" she whispered softly, grasping her big sister tight.

"That's great, Anna. I missed you, too," Elsa wheezed. "But you're kind of holding on a little bit too tight!"

Anna immediately loosened her grip. "Sorry, sorry!" she gasped, checking Elsa to make sure she was okay. Anna gently pulled back, standing up and walking over to where Kristoff was. Kristoff casually placed his arm around his wife, smiling.

Elsa's eyes widened as suddenly an awful pain shot through her heart. She screamed, clutching the sheets of her bed as her fifth attack came. Diablo instantaneously reacted, starting towards her, but Asche placed a hand on his cousin's shoulder, holding him back.

Diablo whipped around to glare at Asche, who returned Diablo's gaze steadily. "Let it come. Her body will either resist it or succumb to it. There would be nothing you could do either way."

Diablo sighed, knowing that Asche was right. He slumped against the wall, his concerned eyes on Elsa. Just as quickly as it had come, the attack was over. Elsa slouched in the bed, looking lifeless. Anna cried out, burying her face in Kristoff's chest, and Diablo was just beyond shocked.

Elsa couldn't be dead. She couldn't. She was his soul mate. His grief was sliced in half when Elsa gently raised her head, opening her eyes. "Wh-what happened?" she asked, holding her head.

It was too much for Diablo to take. He flung himself at Elsa. "You were dead! You were! But… Now you're alive! You survived it! You survived your fifth attack!" he exclaimed, hugging her close.

Elsa's eyes were wide, but then she finally understood. Smiling, she held him as well, her arms wrapped around him. "Good. Now, let's get me out of this stinking hospital. It's boring here," she complained. Diablo pulled back, but was smiling to himself. He nodded, and stood up, giving her his hand. He helped her out of her bed, and though she was a little shaky on her legs, she insisted on walking on her own.

They were at the castle again, walking through the halls towards Elsa's bedroom, before long. Quickly, the reality of what really happened dawned on them. Elsa had died. Elsa stumbled a little bit as it hit her. She wasn't feeling like herself. She tried to remember things, btu they slipped away. "Who am I?" she asked, confused.

Diablo gazed at her, concerned. "You're Queen Elsa of Arendelle," he reminded her slowly.

Elsa's eyes widened. "I'm a queen? Sweet! I always wanted to be a queen! Time to go declare war on my enemies! Haha!"

Diablo stared at Elsa, shocked. "Let me handle this," Anna said as she pushed through. She reached her older sister, and then promptly proceeded to slap Elsa's face.

Elsa blinked a few times, holding her red cheek. "Thanks Anna, I needed that…" Suddenly, she felt a scorching pain sear through her head, down to her heart. She crumpled to the ground.

Diablo shouted in horror as Elsa's skin turned gray. He knelt down beside her, tears already pouring out of his eyes. He held his hand up to her mouth, which was slightly open. There was no warm breath. His eyes widened as he moved his hand to her chest, feeling for her heartbeat. Nothing. "She's dead! Her heart isn't beating! She's dead!" he screeched at no one in particular, burying his face in Elsa's neck, even though there was no pulse, trying to drown out the intense sorrow that was threatening to suffocate him.

* * *

**PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! Wait for tomorrow. Everything will be revealed in Chapter 19, I promise! But for now... Did anyone appreciate that dive into the life of The Predators? :3.**


	19. Chapter 19

Anna gasped when what really happened dawned on her. "Elsa!" she screamed, running over and dropping to the floor next to Diablo. She shook her older sister, tears already beginning to run down her face. There was no response from Elsa. "Elsa! Love is supposed to thaw, right? Right!?" she screeched at no one in particular.

Asche had a few tears peeking out, and even Kristoff was fighting them. Kristoff and Elsa acted almost like brother and sister. Technically, she was his sister-in-law, so that sort of explains it. Still, no even he liked the sight of Elsa lifeless.

Asche treaded lightly over to where Anna and Diablo were crouching over Elsa. Asche gently reached down and placed his hand on Anna's shoulder. "I'm deeply sorry, but love will thaw… Ice. Love cannot penetrate a dark Death Sentence." His hung his head, sighing. Then suddenly, an idea hit him. He gasped, jumping a little bit. "Diablo! Do you still have light powers?"

Diablo frowned. He had forgotten about those. "I-I think so… I haven't practiced them but they seem to already be under control somehow…" He managed to pull himself together enough to hold his hand, palm up. He concentrated, and a small light flickered in it. He focused even harder, and a small ball of light lit up again. He struggled to keep it burning, though. "I feel your pain, Asche…" he muttered. "Okay, I have light. Now what?"

Asche observed the light for a few moments, before nodding. "Yes, that'll work. You have to let the light be absorbed into her head." Diablo stared blankly at Asche, confused. Asche sighed, having to explain further. "It was a dark Death Sentence. Light can penetrate darkness."

Diablo's face lit up and Anna gasped at the realization. Even Kristoff smiled. "Okay, so I just have to… What again?"

Asche bowed his head, shaking it sadly at his cousin's inability to comprehend. "You have to hover it over her head and speak the words of cleansing. Then you lower your hand onto her head and bam, she will most likely be alive again."

"First of all, I don't like that 'most likely'. Second of all, do I hover it palm down? Third of all, I don't know what in the world these words of cleansing you're talking about are!" Diablo exclaimed, tears stains still on his cheeks.

Asche raised one eyebrow. "What's so hard to understand? First of all, there is nothing that could reverse or omit the 'most likely'. Second of all, yes, palm down. Third of all, they'll come to you. Your element will speak to you. Trust me, darkness speaks to me. It's called a Life Call when you bring a darkened one back to life using the powers of light."

Diablo sighed, but then turned back to the dead Elsa. He flipped his palm upside down and the ball of light, which was still there, clung to him, not falling. He moved his hand to Elsa's forehead, trying to keep a reasonable distance. Now came the hard part. He tried to listen to his element. _Light, you've never steered me wrong before. Actually, I've never called upon your assistance before. So, that makes this even more special. Please, oh please help me in this time of need! Please help her!_

Slowly, Diablo began to speak.

"_Drowning in eternal sorrow_

_Light, I call upon in meek_

_Power of yours, I wish to borrow_

_Provide me with that I seek."_

He was extremely surprised when what Asche said was true. Light was talking to him; telling him what to say. He felt a surge of power inside of him. Using his power like this felt… Right.

_"__Death swinging for her too young_

_Bright as the white hot sun_

_Despair in the air she sung_

_Let her not yet be done."_

Gradually, Elsa's skin began to glow with the words, her shine pulsing with his every word. The ball of light under his hand was burning ever brighter.

_"__Let the sadness be whisked away_

_By your beautiful gleaming face_

_Let her be here to stay_

_Revived by this Life Call I place."_

Anna screeched as the light shone even brighter. Diablo didn't even have to push his hand down; the light wanted into Elsa. The light wanted to chase away the darkness. The light pulled his hand down, tearing into Elsa, making the Queen's dead body shudder, seeming alive again.

Everyone leaned forward, though Diablo's hand was still on Elsa's forehead. Nothing happened. It seemed as if the room dropped twenty degrees. Everyone was feeling the chill. Asche was the first one to notice the meaning. His eyes widened and he took in a sharp inhalation of breath. "Guys! The temperature! It got _colder!_ Elsa's, like, the Snow Queen! Anna, quick, check her pulse!"

Anna nodded, bending down to her older sister's side again. She gently took Elsa's wrist in her hand, feeling for her pulse. She froze. She could have sworn she just felt a beat… There it is again! Her face lit up. "She has a pulse! That means her heart is beating! She's alive!" she exclaimed happily.

It was just then that Elsa suddenly gasped, flying up into a sitting position, her eyes opening wide. The sudden force knocked Diablo onto his back but he quickly regained his balance. Elsa's hand immediately clutched the side of her head. "Woah! Head rush!" she said, though her voice was sort of hoarse. "Whew! I'm okay." She stared around at the shock mixed with happiness on everyone's faces. "What? Did I die again?"

Without waiting for an answer, Elsa jumped up, somehow filled with intense energy. "I'm hungry. Let's go get something to eat. Race you there!" she called out, sprinting down the hall and towards the kitchen. Anna chased after her, laughing happily, and Kristoff followed, sighing to himself.

Diablo and Asche hung behind, though, staring after the three. Diablo shot Asche a very questioning and extremely puzzled look.

"I believe that the light and darkness contrasting inside of her has brought out a different side of her. Perhaps a playful side that she'd buried and forgotten after thirteen years of isolation," Asche explained as screeches of laughter could be heard from the kitchen. "Don't worry, it'll wear off… Eventually."

* * *

Tigress walked into Commander Lion's office, her head bowed and her mask and hood on. She had actually felt something strange happening with the Death Sentence, and then her hands had been burnt. She had a whole new pair of gloves on now, hiding her red and irritated hands that still have not stopped hurting. "Commander Lion," she greeted him in respect.

"Tigress." Commander Lion's voice was hard and cold and he didn't even call her Deputy anymore. Obviously, he knew what had happened. "Would you like to explain why your Death Sentence failed?"

Tigress sighed and tried to fight back tears. She knew that when she was first informed that Commander Lion wanted to speak with her, it was about the Death Sentence. "It was him. The nephew of Wolf and I, Xavier. Him and Asche."

Commander Lion's feline eyes narrowed in pure hatred. "Asche was your boy, now wasn't he?" Tigress nodded. "Lift your head, child!" he suddenly snapped, making Tigress's head shoot straight up. "I thought he died. Did he not?"

Tigress's eyes widened. She forgot that she had lied, saying that Asche had died. "I-I thought he would when I severed the link between us… I thought he needed the support of my magic to live… Instead, he somehow became his own being, I guess…" She technically wasn't lying. This is what she had thought. She just hadn't told Commander Lion that Asche lived, because even if she didn't act like it, Asche was still basically her son. Plus, she wasn't the type of mother to abandon her son.

Commander Lion continued to stare levelly at her. "And how long have you known this information?" he pressed.

Tigress, sighed and slouched, defeated. "A little over a week, when it happened…" She sighed. "Look, if you're going to kill me like you did Healer Puma, I beg of you, please make it quick!"

Tigress fell to her knees on the floor, and lay down, rolling onto her back so that her stomach and neck were exposed. This was the position of surrendering for The Predators. The only time one was able to use this position is if they are about to die, which she was certain she was.

"Stand up!" Commander Lion's fierce words made Tigress jump back onto her feet, a few tears trailing down her face. "It seems almost like you want me to kill you. That means I won't. I'll do something worse."

Just as Tigress was about to ask what, he nodded his head once at her, and she fell to the floor again, pain erupting from her head, mouth, eyes, hands, and bum. A duller pain echoed awfully throughout the whole of her body and she groaned, too weak from the agony to scream. Commander Lion snarled an order that she didn't hear over the roaring of her blood in her ears.

Two arms hooked under her arms and hauled her to her feet, though her vision was a blinding white. The brightness in her vision began to die down a bit and the first thing she saw were her hands. She gasped as she realized that she no longer had her claws. Her now human hands flew to her head. Regular ears. Normal teeth. She tried to flick her tail, but it was gone. She trembled slightly as Commander Lion handed her a mirror. She had nothing… She was completely human. Wait… She flicked her hand. A spiral of darkness erupted from her palm. _At least I still have that…_ she thought weakly.

Then again, she had been born with her powers. Commander Lion couldn't take those away. There was a nagging ache in her head and she focused on her hair in the mirror now. It still had the black stripes in her bangs. The rest of her hair was still orange, as it had been when she was born. She started to feel hopeful before she remembered that the stripes had been dyed without magic, meaning they couldn't be taken out with magic.

"What do you think we should do with her?" a throaty, sharp, and almost cawing voice sounded. Commander Lion had turned away from them. Tigress meekly turned her head. Apprentice Hawk was standing next to Apprentice Bear. Next to them was Apprentice Cobra.

All of them looked disgusted with her. "I don't know… Ssssshall we kill her? Or perhapsssssss cook her up and feassssst on her? After all, Commander Lion sssssaid we could deccccide," Apprentice Cobra hissed, her voice airy and breathy.

"Don't be ridiculous, Apprentice Cobra. We should throw her out. I hate the taste of humans," Apprentice Bear rumbled, his voice sounding like a growl.

Tigress knew these three well. All of The Predators did. They were Commander Lion's personal apprentices. They were all very experienced, all of them missing only one thing. Apprentice Cobra had white scales, with yellow snake eyes. She also had a forked tongue and straight, long black hair that fell to her waist but never seemed to get tangled. She was missing her cobra's hood. Apprentice Bear, on the other hand, had brown fur. He had short brown hair on the top of his head, and all black eyes. His eyes weren't like Diablo's right one. His eyes looked soulless. All he was missing was his claws. Apprentice Hawk had brown feathers covering his skin, with long brown hair that falls to his shoulders. His had the eyes of a bird, and he had wings for arms with wrinkled hands on the ends of his wings. His feet were talons, and the only thing he was missing was his beak.

"Please," Tigress suddenly spoke up. "I know that I am not worthy of asking this, but if you could just toss me out a gate, I'll never bother again," she pleaded, her eyes yellow as they were when she was born, but now completely human and wide with a plea for mercy.

Apprentice Hawk narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Shall we do that? After all, it would be less work."

The other two apprentices nodded in agreement, and Tigress silently thanked the heavens as the three dragged her away from there. _There's only one place I can go…_ she thought to herself. _And I'm not sure I'll be welcomed with open arms and kind eyes…_

* * *

"Asche, I have a question," Anna spoke up as they were watching Elsa approaching a plant. Elsa reached out to touch it, and then jerked back. She kept flinching as soon as she was about to touch it. Suddenly, she actually touched it. She shrieked and ran behind Diablo, peeking innocently and fearfully out from behind his shoulder.

"If it's about Elsa, then it seems as if she has forgotten a few minor items. Nothing major, though, and no person was forgotten," Asche responded.

"No, not that," Anna quickly covered.

Asche stared at Anna, puzzled. "What is it, then?"

Anna fiddled with her fingers a tiny bit. "Why did you lie when you impersonated Pabbie?" she blurted, avoiding his gaze.

Asche simply cracked into a smile. "Dear girl, I did not lie. The Beauty Within truly was the cure. And, the sunless cave on the darkest mountain is where you found it. You all were just looking too hard to realize it."

* * *

**I'm sorry, I would have had this in sooner but I was forced to go to a stupid ceremony .. Anyways, did I answer everyone's questions? :)**


	20. Chapter 20

Tigress ran nonstop through the wintry forest. She had been sprinting for quite a while now, and was more than a little out of breath. She didn't stop, though. She couldn't. She could feel the last fragments and remnants of the link she shared with Asche slowly slipping, as they had been for a long time now. She clutched at them, trying to find her sense of direction again. She needed to see him at least one more time. Even if he killed her, she needed to at least apologize.

She knew how desperately she required doing these things, though Asche will probably be too scared of her. After all, she wasn't the nicest person when she was upset… Like that one time when Asche went into the sea but returned without the Glistening Pearl, she-

_No. The past is in the past. You can't keep dwelling on how horrible of a mother you were. You can possibly be reunited with him. You might get a second chance._ She forced her thoughts to stay positive, though the darkness inside of her was threatening to overcome her. Darkness didn't always equate to bad, but right now it wanted to haunt her with her memories.

"After all, you didn't mean to be horrible," she suddenly told herself out loud, somehow finding breath though she was panting. "You wanted to be the best mother ever, but they changed you. It wasn't your fault… Was it? Oh, who am I kidding? It was your fault. You should never have let your younger and most definitely immature brother sway you into visiting them. Who cares about power anyways? You got too greedy, and now look where you are. Running to your son, who is but a shadow, for help! Pathetic."

She paused in her self-chastising and squealed as she jumped to the side, almost running onto a tree. "Oh, great. Hello Mister Tree. Didn't see you there because I'm too busy living in the past. I'm living in the past because I'm too freaking desperate to do anything else!" her voice rose to a shout and she took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. She began to calm down again.

She gasped as her foot caught on a snow-coated root sticking out of the ground. She fell forward, getting a big ol' face full of snow. She groaned, pulling herself up into a sitting position and spitting snow out of her mouth, using her bare hands to wipe her face. She still had her jacket and leggings, but her gloves were gone. It was then that she realized how cold it was.

Her eyes were wide as she wrapped her arms around herself, shivering. Her yellow eyes darted around nervously as she bit her bottom lip, pushing herself into a stand again. She winced as her knee unfolded. She was sure she had some type of injury. It didn't hurt as much as a broken bone, though. Most likely just a sprain.

"Look at that. You were too busy being stupid and wasting your time talking to yourself like a crazy person, you didn't see the tree root!" For some reason, a hysterical urge to laugh bubbled up inside of her. She didn't argue, erupting in hysterics. "Look at you! You're delirious! Gosh, maybe Arthur was right when he said you should watch your head or it might explode. It must be exploding now!" she exclaimed, evoking even more laughter out of herself.

She caught sight of a forest dweller hauling logs. "Hey, you!" she called, smiling even though her laughter had died down a bit. "You better get this girl to a mental institute because she's crazy!" she yelled, pointing at herself. The forest dweller stared at her as if she had flapped her arms and flew, then hurried away. "Hey, where ya going?"

It was then that she came across a frozen lake. She tripped once more, and her face squished against the ice. Her hysterics had calmed down to a few chuckles every now and then as the cold progressed even farther into her body, leaving behind her mind. She lifted her face and cocked her head slightly, staring into the ice. Something was happening to her, but it was hard to put into words.

Her skin was beginning to turn into an iridescent gray color, as if the cold was crashing with her darkness and they were working together to claim her. It seemed almost as if her skin was translucent, in a way. She grinned at the sight, though she was much more collected now. The freezing snow beneath her had already numbed the pain in her leg.

Suddenly, her vision began to get funny. "Whoops. Here I go!" she squealed as the cold severed her off from consciousness.

* * *

Asche wandered through the snow-smothered forest, his gaze on the ground. He had wanted to go for a walk, so here he was. He was really lucky that, being a shadow, he never felt cold or heat. He felt emotions, though. Thoughts were racing through his mind. It was a lot of pressure being the one everyone turns to for answers. Especially when sometimes you just didn't know.

He sighed, turning to his right. He walked over to where a tree stood and placed his hands on the bark, finding footholds and swinging himself upwards. He finally found a nice branch that was high enough. Weight wasn't a problem for him; he weighed nothing since he was a shadow. He smirked to himself. It was fun to be a shadow. He didn't even have to eat or sleep. Yeah, life was good as a shadow.

Alright, he had to get his thoughts in order. He wasn't completely sure when Elsa's effects would wear off, but they had to be soon. After all, magic progresses quickly inside of people. He just had to wait it out and keep the Queen from killing herself.

There. One thing done. Now came the second, final thing he had to figure out. This was only the second one, but it was by far the worst and most stressing one, so therefore it counted for several. He buried his face in his hands as he tried to think. _Okay, okay… I'm not going to deny that I felt a tug. I'm also not going to deny that I know it's Tigress who was trying to pull our link back. But… why? Why would she ever want it back after she chopped it? Why would she reach so desperately for it? I'm not even sure if I want it back… After all, it's fun being my own being. I feel free at last…_

That's when he noticed something sprawled out on a frozen lake. He squinted since it was a good distance away, but finally made out the shape of a person. He gasped and hopped down, landing lightly on his feet. He immediately took off in a sprint towards the figure. Once he reached the lake, though, something inside of him gave him a bad feeling, and he skidded to a stop, nearly falling flat on his face. Luckily, he somehow kept his balance on the ice.

He did drop down onto his hands and knees, though, and slowly started to crawl forwards towards the body. When he finally reached it he extended a shaky hand and rolled it onto its back so that he could see the face.

With a gasp of horror, he jumped back. It was his mother. _No. She's not your mother. Not anymore. She lost that title when she disowned you,_ he reminded himself. It was Tigress. He didn't have a mother. Just a remnant of one. Another thing he noticed is that she didn't feel right. When he touched her, he could feel their link instantaneously springing back, and he wasn't sure how he thought of that. He was also feeling slightly worried about the fact that her skin was looking like darkness and ice mated and had a baby.

The strength from the bond forced Tigress back into consciousness, and she woke with her eyes popping open. She had felt herself slipping. She sat straight up, her eyes darting around wildly. Suddenly, she noticed Asche, and her eyes widened. In a hoarse, almost choked sob, she whispered one word. "Son?"

* * *

Elsa peeked out from the closet, looking around. She grinned to herself as she heard Anna's calls. She had hid from her younger sister. She didn't know why she was so playful all of a sudden; all she knew was that she wanted to play. She quietly closed the closet door again and held her breath, only breathing every now and then and breathing quietly.

She hadn't heard Anna calling for her in a while. She gently got ready to peek again when suddenly the doors swung open. Elsa jumped, suppressing a surprised scream. Her eyes were wide and she had her hand over her mouth. "Good gracious, Anna! You could give me some sort of warning!" she shouted, her heart beating somewhere around a mile a minute.

Anna doubled over in laughter, cracking up at Elsa. "You know Elsa, in a span of thirteen years, you really do learn a lot of the hiding spaces!" she exclaimed in between laughing her head off.

Elsa crossed her arms over her chest, stepping out of the closet and shooting Anna a 'not-funny' look.

"Aw, Elsa, I'm just playing around. I'm sorry; I didn't mean to scare you that badly," Anna apologized, walking over to Elsa. Elsa sidestepped, though, and stuck her foot out, making Anna trip. Elsa was just able to create a snow bank on the ground for Anna to crash into as she gasped, falling to the snow.

Now was Elsa's turn to laugh. "Yes, I see where you're snowing with this," she joked lightly, her laughter subsiding to a few giggles here and there.

Anna sat up, wiping snow out of her eyes. "Oh Elsa… You're going to pay for that!" she announced, leaping to her feet and almost tackling her older sister. She then proceeded to tickle Elsa, which caused shrieks of laughter to erupt from the Queen of Arendelle.

"Anna, stop!" Elsa choked out between laughs. It was getting harder for her to breathe, and she eventually decided to use her powers. She snapped her fingers and Anna's hands froze, encased in blocks of ice. "Ha!" Elsa shouted triumphantly. "Can't get me now!"

Anna placed her iced fists on her hips, glaring at Elsa. "Not fair! I wish I had powers!"

Elsa's eyes widened at this. "Anna, no you don't! Trust me when I say that most of the time, the downsides way outweigh the bright sides of them," she replied with a sigh, walking over to Anna, who was looking dumbfounded. Elsa quickly wrapped her younger sister in a warm-yet-cold, almost motherly hug. "I love you Anna, and I don't ever want you to change… Okay?"

Anna stared at Elsa strangely, then nodded and hugged her older sister back. "'Kay," she agreed. "I love you too, Elsa…"

* * *

Asche shuddered as Tigress called him her son. "No. I'm not your son. You… You disowned me. How could you ever be my mother after that?" he asked, though he wasn't expecting her to answer. He turned his back to her, but didn't go away. He just stayed there, sitting still as a statue.

Tigress sighed; she had been expecting him to be hostile. In all honesty, though, he wasn't as bad as she'd thought he would be. "I know that I lost that right… I was just… Caught up in the moment. I'm sorry…" She hung her head, wishing she were somewhere else. She had been looking for him, but now she didn't know what to say. She decided to give it straight up. "They… They kicked me out. Took away my tiger's strength, my tiger's eyes, my claws, my fangs, my tail… Everything… I'm sorry I let greed get the best of me… I'm sorry you hate me…"

Asche's gaze hardened. He knew she was trying to guilt trip him. He wouldn't stand for it. He stood up and turned back, his cold gaze fixated on her. "I don't hate you. You're still sort of my mother. I could never be able to hate you. I could be mad at you, as I am now, and I could be disgusted with you, as I have been ever since you joined the stupid group in the first place, but I could never hate you."

Tigress stared up at him, astonished. She was fighting hard to keep back tears. "You mean you don't want me dead?" she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.

Asche considered this; he hadn't thought about that. Death would be too easy, though. "No. I don't want you dead. But I'm not letting you escape and be free. From now until my mistress, Queen Elsa, decides what to do with you, you will be my prisoner."

* * *

_**I'd highly appreciate if people could shoot out any ideas. I love to see what my readers think should happen, and what you all think of the characters :).**_


	21. Chapter 21

Tigress's eyes widened at this. "P-prisoner?" she uttered, trying to be sure she heard him correctly. Asche nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He wasn't sure how Tigress would handle the idea. He had been expecting her to freak out and deny him, so her next words surprised him beyond voicing. "Fine. Tie me up if you want to, chain me to you, make me your prisoner, even send me to the dungeon if that what it takes to earn your forgiveness."

Now it was Asche's turn to be shocked. "Really?" he asked. Tigress nodded in return, and Asche helped her stand up. He cleared his throat, returning to his indifferent, guard-like posture and voice. "Very well then. I shall chain you with darkness and bring you to Her Majesty, where she shall decide where you go."

Asche placed both of his hands on both of Tigress's wrists and she watched silently as he gently squeezed them. When he took his hands away, darkness droplets were on her skin. They sprung together, forming tight cuffs on her wrists, and then connected together in a spiral of shadowy chains. When the chains met in the middle, they extended outwards, towards Asche, and then cut off abruptly. Asche grabbed the leash-like rope of chains and began walking in the opposite direction, Tigress following wordlessly behind. Tigress's skin had returned to normal after their link was discovered again; it gave her strength.

Tigress trailed calmly after Asche, not caring about the fate that the Queen she had attempted to kill twice would give her. After all, she was still able to apologize to her son. _No,_ she told herself. _He said it himself; you lost that right. He's not your son. He is Asche._ She sighed, her gaze fixed on him. She took in how the cold wintry breeze made his dark gray hair sweep to the right ever so slightly. Even from behind, he was handsome. She hadn't meant to make him that handsome. Still, he sort of kind of technically was her son, so she felt a small surge of pride.

Asche didn't ever look behind him; he didn't want to risk seeing regret or despair on Tigress's face. It would only make him cave earlier. Instead, he centered his thoughts on finding Elsa. He suddenly stopped, making Tigress flinch back so she didn't run into him. "I have a faster way to travel," he commented. He didn't trust her on a cloud, though.

He flicked his free wrist at the snow-slathered ground in front of them and, materializing out of his magic, two shadow horses appeared. Their saddles were connected, though, and the saddle on the right one had a deep hole in the side of it. Asche led Tigress over to the right one and nodded towards the horse. Tigress climbed on, and Asche walked over to where the saddles were connected. He guided Tigress's left hand into the hole, and it immediately closed, not too tightly, around her wrist.

Asche placed the reins in her other hand, which was still cuffed to the captured hand. He then proceeded to walk over to the left horse, swinging onto it. He nonverbally commanded the horses to run, and they took off at an incredible speed, faster than a regular horse, towards Arendelle.

They rode on in silence, neither of them knowing quite what to say. Asche simply couldn't find something to say, while Tigress had too many questions racing through her head to choose just one.

Tigress's sudden, unwarned words sliced through the silence like a sharp, albeit gentle sword. "How did it happen? How did my Death Sentence fail?"

Asche smiled a little bit to himself that this was the first question she asked, but didn't even bother to look at her. "Diablo. Eh, you imaginably know him better as Xavier. When Wolf cursed him, the curse developed powers of its own. He was given pre-controlled light magic. Therefore, his Life Call balanced out your Death Sentence."

Tigress nodded, even though Asche wasn't looking at her. "Clever boy."

"Actually, it was my idea."

Tigress gave a small smile. "Nice idea, then. It's great that you can easily piece together how to properly balance out the elements without actually killing the girl," she commented. Asche blushed a little bit at her praise, but looked away so that she couldn't see the red filling his gray cheeks.

Asche didn't reply verbally, so they both fell into a comfortable little silence. That is, until he heard Elsa's voice. "Asche! You're back!" she called, running over to them, more than a little energetic. Tigress looked around; she hadn't even noticed how close they were to Arendelle.

Anna followed her big sister happily, skipping instead of running. "Woah, Asche! Who do you have with you?" Anna asked, skidding to a halt next to Elsa.

Elsa stared at Tigress, confused for a few seconds. Then the darkness inside of her took over and she narrowed her eyes at Tigress, crossing her arms over her chest. She didn't know why, but she had a strong feeling that she was supposed to hate this person with a passion. "Yes, who _is_ this being?" she growled through gritted teeth, suddenly wishing Diablo was with them.

Asche hopped off his horse and dissolved them both so that Tigress fell to the ground. He picked her up and set her on her feet, grabbing the leash again. "Queen Elsa, Princess Anna, let me introduce you to my creator and sort of technically my mother, Tigress. She lost that privilege a while ago, though. You both know that. She, ah, she had a hand in your sickness Elsa, and she placed a Death Sentence on you. When Diablo's Life Call revived you, it didn't fully chase away the darkness. This is how you have the three elements inside of you, as we'd informed you earlier."

Elsa nodded, still staring menacingly at Tigress. Her gaze hardened and chilled, a shadow seeming to pass over her normally bright blue eyes. "So, you basically killed me twice. Ha, never thought I'd ever get to meet my assassin. Hmm… So much to say… First off, I thought you were a part of The Predators?"

Tigress flicked her gaze away from Elsa's, squirming a little bit under the Snow Queen's stare. "Th-they kicked me out… I'm not a part of them anymore… I'm sorry I let greed get the best of me, though; I shouldn't have… I know I don't deserve it, but I'm hoping for maybe a second chance…"

Elsa gave a small chuckle. "You are seriously asking me for a second chance? Fine; I'll let you live. But don't think for a second that you aren't going to be sent to the dungeon. Your crimes against Arendelle were too great. You will spend the rest of your life imprisoned."

Tigress flinched but nodded, her gaze still fixed intently on the white ground. She was about to reply and accept her punishment, but she was interrupted. _"What?"_ Anna demanded, turning towards Elsa with confusion on her face. "You're going to send Asche's mother to the _dungeon?_" she asked, her eyes wide.

Elsa had puzzlement showing clearly on her face. The shadow had left her eyes. "Well, yes, of course I am. She tried to kill me more than once. Anna, it is proper punishment. As Queen, I have to send her to the dungeon."

Anna crossed her arms, an accusatory look on her face. "Oh, yeah? Sending the mother of the shadow who has risked his life for you more than once to the dungeon is your duty?" she pressed. Elsa opened her mouth to reply, but Anna cut her off. "Elsa, you should know more than anyone how much family matters. Even if they are in a rough spot. We were in a rough spot before the Great Freeze, and even after, but did either of us just give up on that? No. We tried to find that bond that was burrowed between thirteen years of shutting the world out, and now we're closer than ever. Don't you think Asche should have that chance?"

Elsa felt guilt hit her like a tornado, but she refused to give in. After all, she could have died… Tigress deserves to be punished… Right? "Anna, I know how important family is, but I can't risk letting her kill me permanently. I'm sorry, but I have to do this. She is a criminal by law. I can't let a criminal loose in my kingdom. Don't you know what the other kingdoms would think of that? They'd think Arendelle is too weak to contain its criminals, and may even try to conquer us. We can't risk that."

Anna narrowed her eyes at Elsa. "I don't think that would matter. We can take other kingdoms. Our army is strong. You only get one mother, and you can't let her slip away. You can't let Tigress slip out of Asche's grasp the same way that our mother slipped out of ours… Don't you remember her rocking us on her legs, one on each lap? I remember that. You didn't even go to her funeral. Now, you can do the right thing and give Tigress a second chance since I gave you a second chance after you almost killed me twice. Actually, one time you did kill me and I still love you. Or, you can see past family and love and be a cold-hearted Snow Queen and lock her in the dungeon. Your choice."

Throughout Anna's second speech, silent tears had begun to fall down Elsa's face. She did remember cuddling with Anna and their mother, or sitting in the rocker all together by the fireplace… They were some of the happiest moments of her childhood, apart from when Anna was born. But now Elsa was being reminded of those times, and now she yearned for them to be back. She wished that she had gone to their funeral; she really did. She had just been too caught up in concealing…

Elsa sighed, burying her face in her hands. "You're right, Anna. I'm a horrible family member…"

Anna walked over and wrapped her arms around her big sister, who was now sobbing into her hands. "I never said anything about that. Even if you were caught up in that whole 'conceal, don't feel' mumbo jumbo, you've always been an amazing sister. And I know that if you search deep down in that warm, beautiful heart of yours, you'd know what to do," she comforted Elsa gently.

It took Elsa a minute to realize Anna's words. When she did, though, the darkness that was threatening to take over was penetrated by the light inside of her. Desperately, she clutched at her younger sister. "Thank you…" she whispered.

When Elsa finally pulled herself together enough, she turned towards Asche and Tigress, who had been silent through it all. Elsa noticed that Tigress's eyes were glossy with unshed tears, though, and Asche was fidgety, glancing over at his mother every now and then. "Very well. Against my cold, dark judgment, the best sister in the world has changed my mind. Tigress, you are shunned for your crimes, but I won't toss you in the dungeon. You will be free to do as you wish, but you will not be given a place to stay."

Anna gave Elsa a hard look, and Elsa sighed, giving in. "Fine. We'll lend you one of the spare rooms in the castle. But other than the room and food, we will provide none else. Actually, maybe you can become a servant of Arendelle and find a way to earn our trust. You will also be earning money and you will be able to live in the Servants' Quarters," she suggested.

Tigress's eyes were wide. "Yes! Oh, yes! That would be perfect! Thank you!" she gushed. She was about to go and hug Elsa before she realized that she was in the presence of royalty. Asche quickly dissipated the chains, and Tigress bowed, not knowing the correct procedure. "But, umm… If it's not too much trouble… perhaps could I be able to talk to my nephew, Xavier? Or, well, you might know him better as Diablo."

Elsa opened her mouth and was about to argue why that wasn't a good idea when someone cut her off. "I'm right here," Diablo stepped out from the shadows. "I had been hiding, and I heard everything."

Tigress breathed out a small sigh at the sight of him. "Oh, she was right… You really do have your father's shade of blue in your eye…" Her voice was airy and bright. Within seconds, she was standing in front of Diablo, her hands in the position of cupping his face but not quite touching him. Her gaze flicked to Diablo's devil eye, since Elsa had insisted he dispose of the horrid eye patch. "I see what Wolf did to you. What a shame he ruined so much of your father inside of you while killing your father as well…" She sighed again. "You know, Arthur always was the best of us three morally… It was horrible that he was killed by his own brother… I never liked Wolf, to be honest."

Diablo was shocked into silence. Finally, he found his voice again. "Woah woah woah, back up… You said 'she' was right… Who was 'she'?"

Tigress seemed genuinely shocked at this information. "Why, don't you know? I'm talking about your mother, silly!"

* * *

_**Well, this chapter was fun ahah xD. Lots of reuniting going on x3. Plus, you are all going to be learning more about Diablo's mother... Information is always wonderful, eh? :D.**_


	22. Chapter 22

Diablo's eyes, devil and not, were filled with shock at this new information. "But… But my mother left me. She fled; abandoned me… How would she know what color my eyes were?"

"Oh, Xavier…" Tigress's voice was gentle and her eyes softened at his words. "She never abandoned you. Sure, she wasn't there to kiss your boo-boos or tuck you in at night, but she was always thinking of you and looking out for you. She did flee, but just because Wolf wasn't fond of her. She feared that she would endanger you. She still met up with Arthur, though. When you were really little, he would bring you. But once you were old enough to develop memories, he and Bella had to settle with descriptions of your antics and playfulness."

Diablo furrowed his brow, overwhelmed at his aunt's words. "How do you know so much about how my mother was?"

Tigress smiled at her nephew, her smile as kind as her eyes. "Bella and I were rather close sister-in-laws. I would visit her often. She was the first one other than Cougar and I to see Asche, because I trusted her that much."

"Wait a second," Elsa suddenly cut in, stepping up so that she was next to Diablo. "She said sister-in-law… And her son is Asche… So that means…" Suddenly Elsa gasped, smacking Diablo's arm. "You two are cousins!?"

"Uhh… Did we forget to tell her?" Asche asked, a small chuckle following after his words. "Yes, we are cousins."

Diablo chuckled as well, gently nudging Elsa. "Aw, come on Elsa. You can't expect us to remember every single little detail. You know now, don't you?" he asked. Elsa huffed and looked away, crossing her arms, but didn't argue. Diablo wrapped his arm around Elsa's shoulders and pulled her close to him. Elsa didn't budge for a few moments, but her resolve was broken and she leaned into his warmth. With a smile on his face, Diablo turned back to Tigress. "Please, tell me more about her."

Tigress just stared at the position Elsa and Diablo were in though. Elsa was fully leaning against Diablo and their hands were entwined together. Tigress doubted they even noticed their hands together. "Hold on, let me get something straight first… You two… You are lovers, are you not?"

Elsa jerked away from Diablo at this comment, and two of them shared a look of utter embarrassment. "I wouldn't say-" Elsa suddenly cut herself off, sighing. Now defeat showed clearly on her pale face. "Yes. I guess you could call us lovers or something like that," she admitted, leaning into Diablo once more. She had missed the feeling of being pressed up against his strong body. He always made her feel more secure. She and Diablo grinned at each other, finally accepting the truth.

"Okay. Thought so. That just makes me feel worse about what I did," Tigress conceded, the guilt visible in her yellow eyes. "Anyways, back onto Bella. She lives in a one story house on the outskirts of the forest. She moved there when it was abandoned. It took major cleaning for her to get it back in order. She moved there so that she could get the Arendelle newspaper and know that you were alive. She never stopped loving you Xavier…"

Diablo sighed and placed his hand on his forehead, keeping one arm around Elsa. "I know that now… And please, call me Diablo. Even though I feel better with my curse now, it's the name that I gave myself, and I'm not changing it back."

Anna gasped, jumping a little bit as an idea flitted into her head. "I know! I know! Tigress, your first act as out servant should be to take us to see Diablo's mother!" she exclaimed excitedly, practically bouncing up and down.

Tigress thought about this, while Diablo and Elsa both stared at Anna like she was crazy, twin looks of astonishment and concern for the princess's mental well-being on their faces. "Very well. That could be done," Tigress admitted. "Though the last time I talked to her was a month ago. If she moved… Well, I'm just warning you now."

Anna wasn't paying attention to her anymore. "Come on, Elsa! We have to go pack!" she urged her sister forwards, now trying to pull Elsa away. Elsa didn't budge at first, but then Anna gave a mighty tug. Elsa flinched and gasped as she crashed to the ground. Anna didn't notice, though, and then proceeded to drag Elsa across the ground.

Diablo couldn't contain his laughter, and even Tigress allowed herself a smile. Asche was grinning and holding back laughter as well. It took Elsa a minute or two to be able to reach out her hand and grab Anna's ankle, especially with a face full of snow.

Anna stopped and looked down at her sister. "Elsa? How'd you get down there?" she asked curiously and innocently. Elsa just groaned through her mouthful of snow, using Anna's ankle to drag herself up into a sitting position.

Elsa spat snow out of her mouth and wiped it out of her eyes. She then rubbed it out of her nose with her sleeve. She glared at Anna. "Not cool, you know."

Anna's eyes widened a little bit. "Did I do that?" Elsa's accusatory look was enough. Elsa couldn't stay mad at her clueless younger sister, though, and soon broke into a small smile. "Oh, gosh Elsa! I'm sorry!" Anna exclaimed, immediately hugging her older sister, even though she knew that the cold never bothered Elsa.

Elsa just continued to grin at Anna as she hugged her back, then pulled back to brush snow off of her dress as she stood up. "Don't worry, I've become pretty Anna-prepared, so I wore a dress that wouldn't tear as easily. However, before we even think to pack, I have a meeting soon with my council…" she frowned as she remembered the meeting. "But it would be a good time to tell them that Tigress will be our servant and that we'll be visiting old family. I'll leave out who Tigress was before she came here. Instead I'll say… Uh… How about that she moved here from… Corona?" she suggested.

No one argued with the idea. Elsa walked over and placed a small kiss on Diablo's lips before walking away, waving a little bit and smiling to herself. She was nervous about meeting Diablo's mother in a day or two, but for now she felt good somehow. Apparently, the light magic that still lingered inside of her was showing. But this time, instead of making her energetic and playful, it made her feel calm and serene.

Elsa was quiet as she made her way back to the castle. She felt at peace, now that the darkness that had nearly consumed her earlier was gone for now. She definitely felt better. Enough to grin to herself about how amazing Diablo was and how she had the best sister in the world as she walked.

Anna's antics could be annoying at times, but Elsa knew that she didn't mean them, most of the time. Plus, they were what made Anna who she was. She just wouldn't be Anna without her Anna Antics, as Elsa liked to call them. Elsa loved her little sister for who she was, Anna Antics or not. Anna almost always made up for them later, as well. Almost.

Elsa was so lost in her own world that she almost ran into someone. She jumped back, surprised, but then noticed it was one of her guards. The guard seemed to visibly fill with relief at the sight of her. Obviously, he had been looking for her. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, she held her hand up to stop him. "Don't worry, I remembered. I'm on my way to the meeting now."

The guard nodded, and hurriedly guided her back towards the castle, where she would have to face her royal council and convince them to let her go into the forest where she nearly died before. Elsa sighed to herself. This wasn't going to be easy.

* * *

Diablo, Anna, Tigress, and Asche were left alone then. An awkward silence befell them, none of them knowing quite what to say. When Anna spoke up suddenly, it surprised more than one person. "Well, I should go start packing anyways. I'll pack for Kristoff, too, since as soon as he comes back from ice harvesting, I'm dragging him with us. Diablo, you have to pack as well. Are you coming?"

Diablo was about to protest, intending to say that he didn't have much to be packed anyways, but Anna shot him a pointed look, cocking her head slightly towards Tigress and Asche. It took Diablo a few moments, but eventually he understood. "Oh, uh… Yeah. I've gotta go pack. Lots of stuff, lots to pack!" he covered up poorly, and then fled the scene with Anna.

That just left Tigress and Asche alone. Tigress was the first one to break the silence. "You know, I wasn't lying when I said I was sorry… I really don't know what got over me. I know I'm not the mother you deserve, but I'm the only one you have. You're the only son I have, as well. So that means that we can either ruin our time together by not snapping awake into the present or we can enjoy life, and enjoy the fact that we are family. We can let it go. I know we can. Trust me, it's hard for me to get out of living in the past as well… There's so much I wish I'd done differently, but if we want our lives to be easier, we have to leave the past where it belongs; in the past."

Asche nodded a little bit, leaning against a tree. "I know that… It's just hard sometimes. I'm sure you understand that. Especially without dad… I miss him. He was always able to settle the arguments we had. We could always be a family again with him. But after they took him away… It just hasn't been the same…" he breathed out, on the verge of tears.

Tigress shocked both of them by walking over and wrapping her arms around Asche. Asche's eyes widened and he didn't know what to do. "I know…" Tigress whispered. "I know how much you miss him. I miss him too. We share that loss, though. Maybe… If we work together… We can overcome it. If we forgive and forget, both of us, maybe we can be a family again. After all, Cougar's spirit is always here… As well as his undying bravery…"

This actually did cause a few tears to spill down Asche's cheeks. Shakily, he hugged Tigress back, still unsure of himself. "That's all that matters, right?" he choked out, tears coming even quicker now.

Tigress smiled a sad smile, though their hug was so close that he couldn't see it. "Of course…" she answered a little breathlessly. Asche didn't know it, but she also had tears streaming down her face. Now, possibilities were crossing through her mind. And for once, they weren't the bad ones.

Maybe they _could_ forgive and forget. Maybe they could learn to love again. Maybe she could learn to be a good mother again, and he could learn what it was like to have a mother again. They were only separated for a little over a week, but they had both had rueful and hateful thoughts during them, forgetting all about what family was and what it meant. Tigress carefully brought back these thoughts, one by one. With each one, she mentally kissed it and then abandoned it. They disappeared from her mind completely after being abandoned. She didn't need them anymore. Not with the true bond between her and Asche that was slowly being renewed, being unburied after two months of arguing and un-familial actions.

Tigress breathed out a small sigh as Asche tightened his hug, burying his face in her shoulder.

Asche was disposing of the horrid thoughts he had been thinking over the past few months as well, the only difference being that his time span was longer. He enjoyed the feeling of his face pressed against Tigress's warm, welcoming shoulder. He had been eighteen for half of a year, and only alive for half of a year. He would be eighteen for the rest of his life, look-wise. In all actuality, he was but six months old. He still remembered when his father had died. Tigress had embraced him as she was doing now, and they had cried together, sharing the same pain. For the first time since Tigress had joined The Predators, Asche wasn't disturbed or emotionally detached because of something. For the first time in two months, he let himself enjoy the hug. After all, what Anna said was right. You only get one mother.

"I love you, Asche…" Tigress broke through his mental babbling with her gentle, loving, and all-out warm words.

Asche didn't even hesitate a nanosecond with his answer. "I love you, too, Mom…"

* * *

_**Let me just say that this is probably the most adorable chapter I have ever written, or at least in my opinion c:. I just... I can't even describe how amazing it was to write this. Definitely one of my favorite chapters :).**_


	23. Chapter 23

Elsa just barely made it to her meeting on time. When she did, all of the members of the council stood up and bowed to her as she breathlessly sat down in her chair with sweeping, practiced grace. Her mother and father had always taught her to practice using grace in every movement she did. Apparently it was Queenly. "Alright, the first order of business is-" began the head of the council.

Elsa held up her hand to stop him. "Arvin, if I may, I have a few things to discuss first. They won't take long."

The man known as Arvin looked unsure at first, since whenever the Queen had discussed issues before they had, it usually ended in them not getting to the other, political issues. He eventually gave in and nodded, though. "Go ahead, Your Majesty."

Elsa gently and soundlessly pulled her chair closer to the table, her hands entwined together on the table with her elbows off, of course. "Thank you. First of all, we have a new servant. Her name is Tigress. She has orange hair with a couple of black stripes in her bangs. Her eyes are yellow. She moved here recently from Corona and has years of experience. We'll need to find her a new uniform, but all that aside, please, give her a warm welcome," she began, more than relieved that she hadn't been able to tell her council about The Predators.

"Is that all?" Arvin asked, obviously not wanting to forget the information he had to go over with them.

Elsa paused for a second, then continued. "Not quite. I'm guessing most of you have noticed by now that I… Share feelings, if you will, with Xavier, or better known as Diablo," she let this sink in. She hadn't really admitted it to them before now, and of course murmurs arose. After all, it was unbecoming for a Queen to wed someone of such a low rank, even if they weren't ready to wed yet. "Now, time to get to the real tricky part. I'll just say it instead of delaying it. I am venturing out into the forest with him, my sister Anna, her husband Kristoff, of course Olaf, Sven the reindeer, Asche the shadow, and the new servant Tigress."

Shouts erupted from every corner of the room. Elsa held up her hand again, silencing them. "Let me finish. We are going to go meet Diablo's mother, who may or may not know any information about who plagued me. Of course, my sickness was too well-developed to be natural. Especially since it was not in our records. Arvin, I trust you will be able to take care of Arendelle over the short period we are gone. We will leave tomorrow," she concluded, keeping her calm even though the people of her council were looking more than a little ruffled.

Arvin just looked shocked, though. "M-me?" A nod from Elsa confirmed it. "Oh… Well thank you, Your Majesty. I promise to take good care of her!"

Just as Elsa was about to speak, the Prime Minister spoke up. "Your Majesty, may I ask… Why are you bringing a servant on such an important task? Especially a new servant?" he asked, looking uncertain.

Elsa sighed; she had forgotten about that. "Tigress is the only one who knows where Diablo's mother lives. He had told her about his mother and Tigress believes she saw her once, not long ago," she replied. She technically wasn't lying. Tigress is the only one who knows where Bella lives, or possibly lived. Elsa just added a few details.

"It might be dangerous, though. We can't let you leave," the Prime Minister spoke up again. "Especially after you almost died there several times. Not to seem judgmental or rude, but your sister… She doesn't exactly seem fit to rule in case something does happen."

Elsa's eyes narrowed dangerously at this. "Don't you ever talk about Anna that way again," she warned, her voice icy. She could feel the darkness still inside of her clouding her mind, but she couldn't do anything to stop it. She could only wait until the two unneeded elements were gone. "She is your princess and you underestimate her way more than Hans did. How _dare_ you ever even think of her like that?" she pressed, the darkness burning her. The scathing felt good though, somehow. It felt like it belonged.

The darkness danced around inside of her, the light struggling to break through. It couldn't though, for the darkness was taking control of every key part of Elsa. Inside, the light was desperately trying to save her. Diablo was desperately trying to save her.

All the light could do, though, was get to Elsa's heart, the one place the darkness forgot, and hope that a pure heart would be enough to cast out any irrational or unjust actions against her council. Elsa didn't notice the battle raging on inside of her. She was just giving in to the more powerful one which, at this point, was darkness.

A shadow once again crossed over Elsa's eyes for the second time that day. It took her a small while to realize that the walls were beginning to freeze over. The ice coating the walls was darker than usual, though, and Elsa knew she had to do something. "My Queen, you need to calm down. I'm sure Prime Minister Audhild was just saying that your sister didn't take the time to learn much about royal interactions over childhood. He didn't mean to make you angry, he was just trying to help…" another member of the council pointed out, trying to save the whole room from freezing over.

Elsa inhaled a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "I am going. That is an order. No one is to stop me. Arvin will be in charge, I will be back within a day or so, and that is the end of the discussion." With that, Elsa stood up and left the meeting room.

Whispers erupted. Arvin sighed and smacked his forehead when he realized that, as he had predicted, she hadn't stayed for the discussions he had prepared.

* * *

Anna smiled as Kristoff came into their room. She had already been packing a bunch for the trip, which she still hadn't told Kristoff about. After all, he had only just gotten home from ice harvesting, hence the snow covering him head to toe. "Hey," she greeted him, returning to her packing.

"Hey, you," Kristoff returned. He took his beanie off and placed it on top of the dresser crouching down next to Anna. "What are you doing?"

"Packing," Anna replied simply. Kristoff just stared at her as if she was crazy, nonverbally pressing her to explain. "We're going to go see Diablo's mother tomorrow. Tigress says that she lives on the outskirts of the forest outside of Arendelle. You're coming along as well."

Kristoff nodded; he was used to Anan dragging him around like this. It was one of the reasons he loved her, no matter how annoying it could be. "Wait, Tigress… I thought she was evil? A part of The Preda-something? What happened to that?" he asked, now utterly confused.

Anna glanced at him, then pointed to a bag and handed him some of his clothes. "She was part of The Predators, and then they kicked her out. I convinced Elsa to let her stay since Tigress is technically Asche's mother, and you know how important family is to me. She's going to be our servant until she earns more trust. Her cover story is that she has a lot of experience as a servant and moved here from Corona. Here, put this in there as well," she instructed, handing Kristoff a pair of his own briefs.

Kristoff put the pair in the bag, but then looked at Anna, an amused smile on his face. "What, are we going for a year?" he teased slightly, then 'accidentally' brushed her ticklish spots.

Anna shrieked with laughter, smacking at his hands. This just made him more persistent, though. "Stop it!" she gasped through her laughter. "It… Tickles!"

Kristoff smiled at this. "That's the point!" he taunted, making Anna react. Anna jumped up, head butting his chest. Kristoff fell onto his back, Anna climbing on top of him and pinning his arms down. "Aww, that's not fair," he whined amusedly, a fake pout on his face.

"Oh, really?" Anna asked in a playful tone, a mischievous smile on her face. "Hmm… Let me make that better," she added, and then before Kristoff could process what she had said, she reached down and pressed her lips to his. Kristoff wasn't expecting it, but he almost immediately began to kiss her back. She let go of his hands and they wrapped around her back, holding her closer.

_I could live with this,_ Kristoff thought to himself. _I could live like this. Just Anna and me. Me and Anna. Together forever._

* * *

The next morning, Elsa was the last one to arrive at the place where they were preparing to leave. She had one small sack with her, compared to Anna and Kristoff's three larger bags. Of course, this resulted in a 'Where have you been? We've been waiting for 10 whole minutes!' lecture from Anna, but Elsa had gotten used to those.

Instead, Elsa just brushed off her little sister, walking over to where Diablo was sitting on Latte. She hoisted herself easily up onto the horse, grunting just a tiny bit, and immediately wrapped her arms around him from behind. "You know, Blizzard's leg is fine," Diablo pointed out, though he wasn't exactly arguing.

Elsa smiled as he glanced back at her. "I know," was all she said before resting her head against his strong, straight back. In one quick movement, Diablo snatched Elsa up from behind him and cradled her against him, bridal style. Elsa was surprised, but relaxed after she realized his intentions, leaning into his warmth. She just hoped she didn't puke on his guard jacket this time.

Asche conjured up two more shadow horses for him and Tigress to ride on, but these weren't connected like the day before. Tigress also had no restrictions on her movements. Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf were riding in the sled Sven was pulling, Olaf babbling the whole time about what it was like when he was first made. Anna, of course, talked with him. Kristoff chose to ignore their rambling for now.

Tigress took the lead with her shadow horse, everyone else following obediently, like chicks following their mama duck. In Asche's case, it seemed more so like that, for actual familial reasons. Especially since he was the one right behind Tigress.

The quiet between Elsa and Diablo seemed to stretch for miles until Elsa finally spoke up. "Are you ready?" she asked, looking up at him. By now she had wrapped her arms around his neck and was enjoying the feeling of her body pressed against his.

Diablo sighed, but didn't look down for another minute or so. When he did, his eyes, devil and not, were filled with anxiety, worry, and even a little bit of fear. "I'm not sure… I mean, I barely saw her at all in my life. I don't have many memories of her. Heck, I don't even know what she looks like! I can imagine she has black hair, though, since my father had orange hair like Tigress. I mean, I'd have to get it from somewhere, right?"

Right then, Elsa grinned and reached one hand up. She ruffled his hair, making him protest. In return, Diablo leaned down and kissed her on the lips. Elsa kissed back of course, loving his signature taste of cinnamon and lavender.

When he had to pull away, they were both smiling. Elsa didn't care about his devil's eye. She didn't care that he was cursed. She was his, and he was hers. That was all that mattered. Gently, Diablo reached down and pressed his forehead against Elsa's, trusting Latte to follow everyone else. "I'm always ready when I'm with you…" he whispered softly.

Elsa's smile widened a little bit. "Good, because I'm going to find a way to stick around for a long, long time and bug you the whole time."

"Somehow, that doesn't seem so bad," Diablo replied, his seemingly endless, dark eye looking brighter than ever.

* * *

_**Sorry this was kind of just fluff, I promise Bella will be in the next chapter :).**_


	24. Chapter 24

_**First off, I just want to dedicate this chapter and give a very warm shoutout to a very special reviewer/reader... Every chapter, Sliced13 takes time to actually write out a warming, lovely, and logn review, giving opinion for everything and always pitching in ideas. I'm so forgetful, I forgot to give Sliced credit for Elsa's darkness taking over when Tigress was introduced to her. Either way, it's better now than never, eh? :). Anywyas, I'm just really grateful to Sliced13 for all he/she(I'm sorry, i don't know x-x) does to try and make this fanifction better. This fanfiction would be a lot worse without him/her :).**_

* * *

"We're almost there," Tigress announced. Kristoff visibly relaxed; Anna and Olaf had been talking his ear off the whole time. Diablo, on the other hand, was looking more than a little nervous. After all, he was about to meet the mother who had never been there for him.

The mother who his aunt claimed to be good, but had never shown him any affection. The mother who he didn't even know what she looked like. The mother than abandoned him. The mother who had wished every night she could be with him. The mother who didn't know he was cursed. The mother whose hugs he had yearned for his whole life. The mother he would dream about at night. The mother he was lost without, albeit he never met her.

Maybe he shouldn't be that mad at her. After all, if Wolf really didn't like her as Tigress had said, then Diablo was sort of glad he hadn't met her, because for sure Wolf would have killed her, and that would have scarred Diablo. _If her death cause by Wolf would have scarred me… Why didn't I killing Wolf scar me?_

His thoughts wandered to that dark place, however much he hadn't wanted them to. Still, his answer was clear. _Because he deserved it. He made you who you are. He cursed you. He deserved to die for it._ Diablo was warmed by the sound of his father's voice inside of his head. _Xavier, you can't let fate get to you like this. I'm sorry I never told you about your mother… She really did, and still does love you. She was sacrificing herself, her love, for you. It runs in your blood, sort of. You definitely didn't get that from me. Either way, I believe this is a reason you are so close to this Queen of yours._

Diablo's eyes widened at that last part. _Dad!_ He mentally shouted, hearing his father's laughter inside of his head.

_I'm just kidding, son. Though honestly, you could have done better._ Diablo was on the verge of smacking his own head so that his father would feel it, but then he remembered Elsa was asleep in his arms. Instead, he settled for mentally smacking his father. _Kidding again! Really Xavier, she is perfect for you. You both know the need to keep away for your loved one's protection. Though that's not the best tactic, it still works for both of you… In the end._

Suddenly, a thought flitted into Diablo's mind; one not caused by his father directly. _Hey, dad? You said I didn't get sacrificing from you, yet you gave your life to protect me… Doesn't that mean I did get it from you?_ He prompted his father's voice, a small smile working itself onto his face.

There was silence on the other line for a short while, but then Diablo's father finally replied. _You'd think. But no, they are different kinds of sacrificing yourself. There are two different kinds. Giving your life is one. This is the one I used. The other one is keeping away. This is the one your mother and you share. This is the one that doesn't always work. They both bring pain to both people, though, be it physical or emotional._

Diablo simply nodded his head. _Fair enough,_ he replied. His father was quiet, then, the discussion having ended. Oddly, Diablo didn't find it weird at all that he had mental conversations with his deceased father. He got over that a long time ago actually.

He wasn't expecting Tigress to speak, so when she did, it surprised him. "There it is," she told everyone. Diablo looked around, confused, since he had been too lost in his own head to realize the nice squat little house in front of them. It had some of its paint peeling from age, and was surrounded by thick, leafless undergrowth. A vine had actually broken through a window, though the vine now was browned and dull from the winter. Inside of the window, the light was on. Blinds were covering the other windows, though.

Diablo gently shook Elsa as they came closer to the home. "Hey, we're here," he whispered softly.

Elsa stirred immediately. "Just five more minutes…" she mumbled sleepily before registering what he had said. Eventually, she groaned, forcing herself to sit up a little bit more, even though she was still being held bridal style. She smiled, still tired, up at Diablo. She hadn't been getting a lot of sleep the past few nights, but she was glad to be woken up by the apple of her eye.

Elsa took in a deep breath, stretching wearily against his hold on her. Then she relaxed again, but she was awake this time. She raised one eyebrow as she caught sight of the cozy-looking, if not worn down, house. She didn't say anything, though.

It took a few minutes for the horses, reindeer or shadow or not, to clear the vegetation. Elsa had to tighten her hold on Diablo's neck after Latte hopped a hedge and she almost fell off. She remained on, though. When they reached the house, Diablo was feeling a mixture of anxiety, anger, hatred, desire, and loneliness wash through him.

Everyone demounted, Asche quickly dissolving the shadow horses, Kristoff, Anna, and Olaf hopping out of the sled, and Diablo carefully sliding him and Elsa off of Latte. Diablo placed Elsa on her feet, where she was a little wobbly after being in the same position for so long. Her balance came back before too long, though. She gasped as she remembered something. "Anna! We still need to send something to Phoebe!"

Anna's eyes widened as she, too remembered this. "We'll have to make sure to send it when we get back," she promised firmly, though she knew that she'd forget and Elsa would have to remember.

Diablo detached Sven from the sled, and then led the old reindeer over to where his horse was, tying them both up momentarily to a dead tree trunk. "We'll be back," he promised the two mounts before he returned to everyone else.

Anna nudged him towards the door that seemed brand new somehow, despite all of the dense dead bushes and shrubs and trees. Diablo hesitated, and then gently knocked a couple of times. He held his breath as shouts erupted from inside. They quieted down, though, and the door opened. Instead of being met with a woman, though, Diablo was looking down at a little boy. The boy had dark black hair and blue eyes, looking exactly like Diablo when he was younger. The boy had the same look of shock on his face that Diablo did at this moment.

"Hey, Mom? Sierra? I think I'm seeing future me…" he called back without moving his gaze. He was lost in Diablo's devil eye, and Diablo knew it. Diablo felt self-conscious and fidgeted a little bit, not knowing what to do. Vaguely, he was aware of Elsa's cold-yet-warm hand on his arm.

A teenaged girl came up behind him, staring at Diablo. She had orange hair and vibrant green eyes. She looked to be about fifteen, but her gaze was indefinite. "That's not future you, dumb one!" she exclaimed to the boy. She gently pushed the boy, her brother, most likely, aside and rushed out to get a closer look at Diablo. Without warning, she kicked Diablo's shin, forcing him to fall onto one knee. Now she was a little taller than him, but it would do. She grabbed his chin and pulled his face forward, pointing towards his devil eye. "See? You don't have a demon eye like this monstrosity. No offense to you," she told Diablo.

That was when she noticed Elsa's hand, which had moved to Diablo's shoulder. She gasped, taking Elsa's hand in her own slightly smaller ones. "Look at these!" she shouted without meaning to. Elsa and Diablo shared a look of utter confusion.

Anna turned to look at Tigress. "You sure you got the right house?"

Tigress nodded, and then Anna returned her attention to the teenager. "Your nails are perfect! You simply have to let me paint them! Please!" the teenager gushed, still examining Elsa's hand. Elsa snatched her hand away, holding it against her chest. The teenager just crossed her arms and looked up at Elsa. "Now, that's just cold."

Still, the girl was persistent. She kicked both of Elsa's shins, making Elsa collapse onto her knees. Diablo had to refrain from strangling this little girl. The teenager cupped Elsa's face in her hands. "Your face is so cold… And you're so pale! Are you sick?" she asked. Without waiting for an answer, she continued. "Either way, you could definitely use some blush! Don't you think so, Jay?" she asked the little boy, who just shrugged in return.

"Jay? Sierra? Who was at the…" a woman's voice trailed off. The woman had stopped herself when she saw the bunch. She had long, straight jet black hair that fell to her mid-back in waves and the same green eyes as Sierra. She sighed as her gaze rested on Diablo, who had stood up, as well as Elsa. The woman's gaze flicked to every individual person, then stopped once again at Diablo. "Oh, look at that. At my doorstep, the Queen of Arendelle, the Princess of Arendelle, the Prince of Arendelle, my sister-in-law, her shadow son, a talking snowman, and my own son who I haven't seen for twenty years. That's something you don't see every day."

"Bella," Tigress addressed the woman. She stepped in front of Kristoff, moving the mountain man aside.

Now was when Jay and Sierra took time to notice who else was there. "Aunt Tigress! Aunt Tigress!" Sierra gasped, as both her and her brother nearly attacked Tigress. Tigress was prepared for it, though.

Tigress smiled as she wrapped her arms around them. "Hey, you two. Both of you are still as adorable as ever!" she chuckled.

Asche smirked as he walked up next to his mother. "How about some love for Cousin Asche?" he asked, crouching down and opening his arms as his two younger cousins squealed and brought all four of them together.

Diablo suddenly cleared his throat, his gaze fixed on his mother. "Care to explain?" he asked. Instead of speaking, Bella merely stepped out and walked over to him.

She was on the verge of tears at the sight of him, though his glare was partly cold. She hesitated, then gently reached out and placed one hand on his cheek. "It's you… It's really you…" she whispered. It was only then that she noticed his pitch black eye, and it only made her slouch a tiny bit. "He got to you, too, then…"

Diablo nodded a tiny bit, not knowing what else to do. He reached a shaky hand up and removed her hand from his face. "That's not all…" he mumbled, then snapped his fingers to get her attention on his hand. He flicked his wrist and a small ball of light glowed in the center of his palm. "He, ah… He cursed me…"

Now a few tears did fall down Bella's cheeks. "Oh, my precious little Xavier… I'm so sorry… I should have been there to protect you… I'm sorry…"

Diablo stayed still as his mother hugged him, not reacting physically. Inside, it felt like he was stabbed and now the knife was being twisted several times. "That's not my name," he spoke up without warning. Bella pulled back, giving him a confused look. "My name is Diablo. Xavier died when I became the devil I am."

Bella was preparing to talk when Sierra gasped. The cuddle-group had disbanded, but was still close together. She turned to Bella. "You mean to tell me that all these years, I had an _older_ brother?" she asked. Bella nodded, not wanting to speak. Sierra crossed her arms. "'Kay then. Just making sure."

Elsa started to get nervous for some reason and stepped closer to Diablo now that Bella had backed off. In return, Diablo wrapped his arm protectively around her, not even realizing that his arm was draped on her shoulders. Elsa rested slightly against him, glaring suspiciously at Bella.

Bella gave a small laugh as she made the connection. "Okay then, _Diablo…_ Want to explain why you seem to be lovey-dovey with the Queen of Arendelle?" she asked, not even bothering to bow or do something of the sort to salute Elsa's royalty.

This made Diablo smile a tiny bit. "Only if you, _mother…_ Explain a few things first."

Bella sighed, looking towards her daughter. "Sierra, go prepare some left over roast for them. They might not have eaten all day and there's definitely a lot of explaining to do…"


	25. Chapter 25

Kristoff couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu at the fact that here they were again, at some stranger's dining table, eating their food. Well, Bella wasn't a complete stranger to all of them, but it still counted. The silence seemed to stretch on for hours while the party ate.

Bella was consistently staring at Diablo, making him fidgety sometimes. If it weren't for Elsa, who was sitting right next to him and would reach for his hand and give it a comforting squeeze whenever he was too twitchy, he would have melted under his mother's gaze. Bella had one elbow on the table and her chin in her hand, studying every feature about Diablo as he ate. Eventually, her stare drifted over to Elsa.

Bella knew that the Queen and her son had some type of affair; she could tell that right off the bat. Especially since they would brush their hands together whenever they could. Bella, though, wasn't sure how she felt about that. Of course, she had noticed Diablo's guard uniform, but it just confused her even more. When she moved here to follow him, she hadn't known what job he was planning to take up. She only went to the store to get the newspaper every now and then, anyways. Everything else, she had connections to obtain.

Very occasionally, she would run down to Arendelle to grab something special, and only on special occasions. For example, birthdays. She never celebrated her own birthday, though. All she celebrated was Sierra's birthday, Jay's birthday, Arthur's birthday, the anniversary of Arthur's death, even though that was more of a sad celebration, and, alone in her room at night, crying, she would celebrate her eldest son's birthday.

Still, even for Diablo's birthday, she would go out and grab chocolate bars, telling Sierra and Jay she just felt like it was a day to celebrate. If only they knew the real reasons why she would curl up in a ball and cry herself to sleep those nights. If only she knew that they would peek in, looking for something, and see her bawling all alone. If only Diablo knew how much his mother had missed him. But none of these people knew what they should.

Bella had to blink back tears as her gaze flicked back to Diablo, focusing first on his devil's eye, and then his other, normal one. It was still the color of Arthur's eyes. Bella took in a small, shaky breath, letting it out slowly. She had never even dreamed of meeting her little Xavier again, even though now he was 24 and technically not that little anymore. He was still her little boy. He would always be her little boy.

The silence was sliced neatly in half as Sierra came bouncing into the kitchen. She was awful hyper for a teenager. She skipped over to Elsa, practically bouncing up and down. To be honest, she reminded Elsa a lot of Anna. Jay followed, but took a detour, catapulting himself into Kristoff. "HEY! Mountain Man! I heard about you! Is it true that you can talk to reindeer?" he asked curiously, making Kristoff lean back, glancing at Anna.

Sierra was nearly smothering Elsa, as well. "So, Snow Queen," she began in an innocent voice, a mischievous smile on her face. "Can I paint your nails now?" she continued, seemingly in a hyper mood. Elsa merely copied Kristoff, leaning back in her chair to avoid the teenager who had now crawled onto her lap, despite her size. Jay was on Kristoff's legs as well, examining the mountain man in awe.

"Umm… I-I…" Elsa stammered, looking towards Diablo for help. Yet it wasn't Diablo or Anna that came to Kristoff and Elsa's rescue.

"Kids!" Bella snapped, looking upset. "You know better than to be pushy with guests!" she seemed rather embarrassed by her kids' behaviors.

Anna nudged Olaf, and Olaf jumped up, chasing after the kids as they left, looking more than a little sullen. Bella visibly deflated, slouching fully and sighing. "I'm sorry about them… They… Uh, well… They don't see people very often. Or go out of the forest very often… They're also very friendly."

Elsa furrowed her brow, trying to make sense of the words. For once, though, Anna understood it much earlier before her. "So… You abandoned your first son, and now you're isolating your other two children?" she guessed, her voice hard.

As Elsa realized this, her face went whiter than it usually is. For the third time in the past two days, a shadow flickered over her eyes. The darkness wasn't done with her yet. "You're isolating them? You are seriously _concealing_ your children from the world? Is there something wrong with them?" Elsa asked, fueled by the darkness.

Bella's eyes widened at the questions, her hand coming up and covering her mouth as she held back tears. "No… No, there's nothing wrong with them… I-I'm not isolating them… They like the lives they have…" she insisted, just as Jay came running in, holding Olaf's head high over his own and giggling.

"Jay!" Elsa suddenly called. Jay was so surprised that she knew his name that he dropped Olaf's head, which Olaf's body quickly retrieved. He walked over to her, feeling a little nervous. "When was the last time you were out of the forest?" she asked, her voice gentle and calming.

Jay sighed in relief when he realized she meant him no harm. Of course, he knew she was the 'Snow Queen' and could easily kill him. Not that she'd want to. "Hmm… When I was four and Sierra was nine, I think. I'm twelve now, though, and Sierra's sixteen so… A little less than eight years? I'm not completely sure; I lost count after five years," he shrugged, then ran off to play with Olaf again and now Sierra, too, who was entering the room with one of Olaf's arms.

Now the darkness had access to Elsa's heart and memories. She turned on Bella, an accusatory glare on her face. "You seriously locked your children out of the world? It's not fun to be isolated, trust me! It's lonely, and boring, and the worst thing in the world! How _dare_ you do that to them!? It's horrible, and I should know!"

By now, Bella's own anger had been rising at a steady pace. When she replied, her voice was calm, though. Other than being calm, it was hard, cold, and full of deep immediate hatred. "They have each other. That's one thing you didn't have. They also have at least one more thing that you didn't… One of the most important… They have at least one parent who loves them eternally and will never stop loving them. Last I checked, that's a luxury you were not even close to worthy for."

Okay. That was it. That broke Elsa. Her lip began to quiver, no matter how much she tried to stop it, and tears sprang to her eyes. Before they could spill, though, she jumped up from the table and ran off, not knowing where she should go. Luckily, she found an empty room before it was too late. When she entered it, the tears began to fall fast and hard and, in an act of frustration, hatred, and self-worthlessness, she flung her hand out. An icicle shot out and buried itself deep in the wall.

She did this a couple more times before all she was left with was self-hatred. She staggered over to the wall, and then fell against it, sobs wracking her body as she was reminded of her years of isolation. _She's right…_ she thought pathetically to herself. _I'm worthless… My own parents even locked me away on purpose… I was forced to turn away my sister, my best friend, and basically my whole life… Because of them…_

By now, Elsa had begun to hug herself, a habit from the old days. After all, old habits die hard. You'd think she'd be over at least a couple of them in five years, but here she was, hugging herself again, trying to make herself feel better even though she'd never been able to do it before. Even though she really, desperately needed help. Elsa figured that she had it coming, since she had accidentally let the darkness inside of her cloud her mind. There might have been much easier ways to deal with it than… that, though.

She tried to quiet her sobs, covering her mouth with her hand to muffle the sound. The last thing she wanted was someone in here, someone she would have to answer to. Luckily, she had had the sense to close the door, for now the whole room was freezing over. The ice wasn't dark, but it was still there, still haunting her every unbearable second.

* * *

Once Elsa left, Diablo nearly exploded on his mother. He stood up, shouting at her. "What is wrong with you!? Can you not sense a sensitive subject when you hear one!? Thirteen years she was forced into isolation, mother! Thirteen years! She was convinced that she was worth nothing, not even worth the love of her parents or sister! When she is finally convinced of their good intentions, you go ahead and ruin it! I mean, I've only known you for an hour or two, and I'm already disgusted with you! Call the media; we've got a record on our hands!"

Anna was too stunned into silence, along with everyone else at the table. Diablo could feel the devil he was peeking out, but he couldn't find it. His anger at his _mother_ just increased steadily. That is, until she spoke. "I-I didn't mean to… I'm not perfect… I'm sorry…" Bella whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I don't know what came over me… She had a point… I'm a horrible mother… I just wanted to protect all of you, and Arthur could and I couldn't…"

Bella's voice was so broken that it forced Diablo to fall back into his chair, looking a little dazed as that one damaged voice broke through his rage. He leaned his elbows on the table, placing his head in his hands and trying to keep down the beast.

"Bella," Tigress's voice was quiet, yet even. "Even I have to admit that was a little out of hand… Even after you saw how Wolf treated you when you two were alone. You shouldn't have said that… I'm not mad, just a tiny bit disappointed and even slightly ashamed…"

Bella sighed, fixing her gaze on the table so she wouldn't have to see anyone. "I know… I'm sorry… I didn't want to hurt anyone, but I got defensive, and I guess I hurt someone beyond repair… Just like I did to my eldest son… And my two younger children… Even though two of those were indirect… I just can't stop hurting anyone, can I?' she choked out miserably.

"Don't say that," Asche's voice matched that of his mother's, if not a little louder. "People make mistakes. All creatures make mistakes. I'm a shadow and I still make mistakes. Some mistakes are huge, but nothing is too messed up to not be able to be fixed eventually… No one will ever stop being hurt. It's just how the world works. So, instead of trying to stop involuntarily hurting people, you should learn how to make it better."

Anna and Kristoff had both been quiet throughout the whole ordeal, none of them remembering to check on Elsa. Anna finally spoke up, though. "Even as her sister, I do have to admit that Elsa sort of had it coming. I saw the shadow on her eyes. She was letting the darkness take control. The darkness inside of her has been acting up a lot lately…" she mused aloud.

"What? What darkness inside of her?" Bella asked, not up to date on anything at all.

"The darkness I put inside of her," Tigress conceded. "Of course, that was before I was kicked out of The Predators, which I still haven't told you about. I had placed a dark Death Sentence on her. If it weren't for your son's Life Call, none of us would be here."

Diablo just shrugged under the praise, not knowing what to do. He eyed Bella for a few more seconds before finally asking a question. An unexpected question. "Sierra and Jay. Are they… Dad's?" he inquired.

Bella nodded, not wanting to talk about Arthur. Instead, she snapped everyone back into reality with six little words. "You should go check on Elsa."

* * *

Elsa didn't know how long she sat there, more and more ice and snow forming as she hated herself. Now she was blaming it all on herself. She had felt the darkness taking over, but she had been too distracted to stop it… She sighed and clutched her aching head a little harder. This wasn't aching like plague-ridden, but aching like I-hate-myself.

She was still surprised, though, when she felt arms wrap around her. And then another pair enveloped her. She took her head out of her hands, looking up and expecting to see Anna and Diablo. Her tears had dried out long ago. Instead, she was met with one more surprise.

"Shh… It's okay… We've got you… We won't let you go… I promise…" Sierra whispered soothingly, holding Elsa a little closer.

"Yeah… You're much too special and wonderful to be alone. I just met you, but I already know you're amazing," Jay's voice reached in to Elsa as well as he tightened his grip on the Queen as well.

Elsa was amazed, astonished, and confused at all the same time. Why would two strangers, let alone the brother and sister of the guy she sort of likes, and the children of the woman she just insulted, comfort her like this? There was no doubt they heard everything, but now they were even telling her that she was wonderful and amazing. This confused her beyond belief. "Wh-why are you comforting me?" she finally made out, swallowing hard.

Jay pulled back a little bit to look her in the eye, a small smile on his face. "As I told you, I see something special in you. Plus, you're in some sort of positive relationship with my brother that I just recently found out I had. You're the closest thing I've got to a calm older sister," he half-joked, making Sierra elbow him in the ribs. He just giggled, bringing on a tiny, almost imperceptible smile onto Elsa's own face.

Then they all returned to hugging for a little while longer. Elsa was bewildered that two little kids could cheer her up so easily. Their sibling bonding and love made her smile, somehow. They even brought a few tears of joy to the Queen's eyes. "So… You owe me ten nails to paint," Sierra suddenly reminded Elsa, joking a little bit in an attempt to lighten the mood any more.

Elsa just pulled back a little bit to look at Sierra. Then she laughed. Really laughed. For the first time in a long time, she let out her genuine, musical laughter than just made the children grin even more. Maybe things could be okay. Maybe they would be okay. Elsa smiled at Sierra. "Come on, then. I don't break my promises, whether they were verbally promised or not."

* * *

_**I'm sorry, this is probably the exact opposite of how a Mother's day chapter should be, but... I can't say it wasn't sort of fun to write... xD. Anyways, happy Mother's Day to all :).**_


	26. Chapter 26

Elsa watched with a smile as Sierra dipped the pointed end of her raven's feather into the paint again, her hands steady as she made intricate, tiny patterns appear on Elsa's nails. Elsa had been shocked at how amazing Sierra was at it. Elsa had been expecting the girl to be more of a beginner, instead of an expert. Now, she actually noticed the designs on Sierra's nails. The background was pink and there was a rose on each finger, a swirling stem beginning just below but having to cut off.

Elsa's eyes drifted down to one of her own nails that were complete. It had a dark blue background. The actual design, though, was a snowflake. It looked exactly like one of her own, though Sierra had not had any reference. Elsa stared in awe at it a little bit more. Her whole left hand was complete, as well as two fingers of her right hand. Sierra was such a professional, it didn't take her long for each design, and her focus could not be interrupted by anything. Elsa's could, though.

Elsa had been hearing her name called for a while now, but she hadn't bothered to move. She suddenly heard Anna scream her name and several gasps from down the hall. She flinched a tiny bit, her gaze flicking to the door, but Sierra held her unfinished hand in place. "Shh… Just ignore them…" Sierra commanded quietly. Elsa nodded, though Sierra's gaze was fixed on the Queen's nails.

Elsa didn't trust herself to speak. She knew where they were, though, and what caused the sudden freak out. They definitely discovered the room she had bawled in, and all of the icicles in the walls combined with the frost she hadn't bothered to thaw, likely scared them. Elsa vaguely remembered one of her icicles smashing through the window. She gave a tiny sigh. They probably thought she ran away.

Jay was in the room, leaning against Elsa's back and examining with an ice figurine she had conjured up. She had made it so strong that it wouldn't be able to break. He gave a small yawn, shifting slightly. Sierra had had her brother lock the door in an attempt to hold off the others for a small while. The locked door made Elsa nervous, but like they did before, the two had comforted her.

Now Elsa was okay with the locked door. They were in Sierra's room, and she had even opened the window to make Elsa feel better. After all, a window was better than nothing. Elsa just hoped that the cold from the winter outside didn't bother the children. It seemed not to, though. She finally worked up the courage to ask them. "Why isn't the cold bothering you?"

Jay turned slightly, and Sierra glanced up from her work, meeting her brother's gaze. Elsa didn't know that Jay had winked at his sister, nor did she catch the small smile on Sierra's face. Jay leaned back against Elsa once again, and Sierra met the Snow Queen's gaze. "It usually would, except now you're here. You're just so warm, you know?" she answered truthfully, her smile widening a little bit as she went back to work.

Elsa's own smile, which had faded at the noises outside of the door, returned at long last. Of course she had been called warm before by Anna, her parents, Olaf, and even Kristoff at one point, but never like this. Never from two people who had only known her for less than a day. Now that she thought about it, Sierra and Jay did remind Elsa an awful lot of Anna and Diablo, at least looks-wise. Even though Sierra had green eyes, she still had orange hair that was in a simple ponytail down her back. Anna usually wore two braids, but still. Sierra also shared the bubbly, energetic attitude as Anna. Jay, on the other hand, was an exact replica of Diablo, save for the height different and devil's eye. Jay was able to complete tasks with quiet determination, like Diablo. No wonder Elsa instantaneously felt so close to these two.

That was when a knock sounded at the door. It was Anna's special, 5-note knock. None of them budged. "Elsa, I know you're in there. At least, I hope you are. Either way, if you're in there, you better unlock this door right now!" Anna's demanding voice could be heard from inside of the room. Elsa, Sierra, and Jay all remained silent. "Okay… I'm coming in even if I have to break this door down… Five… Four… Three…"

Sierra gave the tiniest sigh, and then nodded at her brother. Jay set the ice figurine down and walked over to the door. He unlocked it and opened it just enough to peek his head out. Nothing behind him was shown. "Oh, Anna, Diablo, mother… What a surprise. What brings you here?"

Bella had been forced to come along by Diablo, and she frowned at Jay. Kristoff, Tigress, Asche, and Olaf were searching outside for Elsa. "Jay, this is Sierra's room," Bella noted, looking more than a little nervous.

Jay pretended to look surprised as he glanced around the hallway. "It is? Gosh, I didn't notice. Whoops."

Anna took a step forward. "Where's Elsa?" she asked, cutting to the chase immediately. She definitely wasn't wasting time.

Jay frowned at her, acting confused. "I don't know what you mean… Where is she? I thought she was with you. I was just drawing, but I don't want any of you to see it yet! It's a surprise!" he suddenly covered up. For a twelve year old, he was a really amazing actor.

Elsa had to bite back a sob, though, at the concern and desperate despair she had detected in Anna's voice. She bit her lip, trying to keep it from quivering. She didn't want to cry. Not after the darkness finally decided to leave her alone for now. She was able to maintain her tears, but her powers were another subject.

The ground was soon covered in a small layer of frost, no matter how much Elsa tried to stop it. No one noticed yet, though. It was only when it reached outside of the room a tiny bit when Anna jumped back, surprised. Her gaze flicked from the ground up to Jay, who was looking a little bewildered. "Our cover's blown!" he called back, making Sierra stop what she was doing, drop her feather, and jump up at the exact same moment Elsa did.

The exact same moment that Diablo rushed at the door. The exact same moment Jay leapt out of the way. The exact same moment Diablo miscalculated and barged through the door with too much force, tripping and landing on his face.

Elsa couldn't help but laugh, her left, completed, and dried hand coming up and covering her mouth to hide her giggles. "Nice one there, big bro," Sierra called, making Elsa laugh even more. Anna's eyes widened as she saw Elsa, and nearly flew past the stunned Diablo, throwing herself on top of Elsa. It took every last bit of balanced Elsa had not to fall over.

Elsa wasn't too surprised, though. She didn't hug Anna back for the air was being squeezed out of her lungs. She started to breathe shallowly as Anna sobbed against her, almost panicking. "Anna… Air… Required…" she gasped out, sounding like a fish out of water.

Anna hadn't heard her, though. Sierra rushed over, ignoring Bella, who was in the doorway. "I've got you, Elsa!" she announced in a gallant voice, then proceeded to kick Anna's shins. Anna fell, but brought Elsa down with her.

Elsa bit back a shriek, but Sierra just crossed her arms. "Seriously? I thought I told you to be careful with your wet nails!" she chastised. Elsa just groaned. Anna finally realized that she was crushing her older sister and loosened her grip.

"Sorry, Elsa!" she apologized quickly. Elsa just playfully shoved Anna. Anna's grip broke, but she instantaneously hugged Elsa again. Elsa hugged her back, since the nails that were complete on her right hand were dried by now. "I was just so worried about you…" Anna whispered, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks. "When we saw the window open, I thought you ran away from me… I couldn't bear the idea if you actually did…"

Elsa just gave Anna a comforting squeeze, finally having caught her breath. "I know, Anna… I'd never leave you, though… Never. If I were to leave the best person in the world, let me burn with my regret, drown in my sorrow, be sliced with my guilt, be impaled with my broken promises, be hung with the ropes of my worthlessness, be shot with my anguish, and be shattered with my demons inside."

Elsa's words just brought even more tears to Anna's eyes. Anna pulled back slightly to look Elsa in the eye. She noticed that Elsa was crying as well. "Mother…" Anna whispered. Elsa nodded slightly. Their mother had repeated that vow to them every night before Elsa's isolation, except saying the best children instead of the best person. Both Anna and Elsa had memorized the phrase. Still, it sort of surprised Anna that Elsa remembered it after all of these years.

Eventually, Diablo silently joined in on the hug, Sierra and Jay following soon after. It was too soon when they all had to disband, though. Elsa finally realized Bella was in the room and jumped back, since she was standing up now. Elsa's eyes were wide with regret, self-hatred, and fear.

Bella bit her lip, staying where she was in the doorway. Diablo pushed her towards Elsa, an idea neither of the women seemed like they enjoyed. But Anna guided Elsa forwards until Elsa and Bella were within an arm's length. They kept to themselves, though, until Bella spoke. "I'm sorry…"

Elsa was genuinely surprised. "What for? You were correct…"

Bella carefully met Elsa's gaze. "No. I wasn't. I was far, far from it. Believe me, I was just acting out of anger…"

"If anyone, I should apologize. You're not isolating your children. You were right, they seem perfectly happy here…" Elsa insisted, her own blue gaze flicking to the ground.

"I think both of you should be sorry, and just leave it like that. Both of you messed up, and sorry is the only thing that can be done. You can't erase the past, but you can alter the future." No one was expecting to hear Jay speak. He had been completely silent the whole time. Now he stepped forwards, though. "You are both equally sorry for what you said. You can't take back words, though. They were said, people were hurt, things happened. They're over now, though, so now you should just forgive and forget. You can't go back; the past is in the past."

Elsa's eyes widened a tiny bit at how similar the ending of his words were to a part of her song. Her song wasn't just any song, it was her song. The song she would at least think about whenever she was too upset to do anything else. The song that helped her be free for at least a small while. Her song.

Elsa met Bella's gaze once more. "What do you say? Forgiveness?" Bella asked.

"Forgiveness," Elsa confirmed. "Forgiveness?"

"Forgiveness."

Sierra spoke up then. "Elsa, I still have to do your last two nails," she reminded.

Elsa mentally smacked herself for forgetting. "Oh, yes. I'm sorry, Sierra. I forgot. You can do them now. The rest of you should probably go tell Kristoff, Asche, Tigress, and Olaf that they don't need to look anymore. I'm safe and everything's calm again. For now."

No one argued. Diablo gave Elsa a quick kiss before he left, though. Anna embraced her before exiting as well. Bella was the last to leave, flashing Elsa a small forgiving smile.

Elsa settled down on the floor again, holding out her right hand. Sierra retrieved her paints and feather once again, getting back to work. Jay resumed his position against Elsa, enjoying the warmth she gave off, despite being the Snow Queen. He could hear her faintly humming a tune.

Elsa was, indeed, humming _Let it Go_. Except, for the first time in her life, she wasn't humming it out of sadness or hatred. She was humming it out of happiness.

* * *

_**If anyone has any questions, I'd be more thanhappy**____**to answer them :).**_


	27. Chapter 27

They had left the door open. It didn't take long for Sierra, Elsa, and Jay to realize it, but still, they didn't bother to close it. Sierra was soon finished with Elsa's nails, and not long after, they were dried. Jay was on the verge of sleep by then, having been bored by the ice figurine after a small while. He hadn't wanted to burden Elsa into making another one, though, so he just sighed and snuggled up against her back.

Elsa carefully turned her body around once her nails were dry. Jay shifted slightly, still really close to sleep. His head fell onto Elsa's lap. She figured he might actually be asleep by now, but she didn't want to wake him yet. Sierra stood up and carefully began to put her paints away as Elsa softly brushed Jay's hair out of his face. Gosh, he looked so much like Diablo…

Elsa sighed, knowing she had to get going. She began to gently shake Jay, and his eyes opened immediately. Shock was visible on his face as he took in the fact that his head was on someone's lap, but he relaxed and smiled when he realized that it was just Elsa. He beamed up at her. It was true what he said; he really did like Elsa. She was just so sweet and kind and she was nice to everyone… Definitely nothing like he would have imagined the Snow Queen.

Elsa returned Jay's smile, her blue eyes tender. "Hey," she whispered. "It's time to get up… We have to go check on everyone else and make sure they didn't get into any trouble," she teased ever so slightly, her smile widening.

Jay nodded, his own smile never faltering. "Okay," he agreed just as softly, then forced himself up into a sitting position. He stood up, stretching, and Elsa stood up as well.

Elsa immediately pulled them both into a big hug. "Thank you… Both of you… You don't know how much it means to me that you'd care for a stranger so much…" she told them honestly. Luckily for Sierra and Jay, Elsa's hugs were nothing near as bone-crushing as Anna's. Rather, they were gentle and warm.

Sierra and Jay grinned at each other, and then hugged Elsa back. "It's like we said. We like you," Sierra replied, giving Elsa a quick squeeze before they all had to disband. Elsa forced back tears at how sweet these two were.

Rather, Elsa decided to tell them she was okay before she did cry. "Alright… It's okay now, though. You two should go play, okay?" she asked, her smile still on her face as she gently 'booped' each of their noses.

The brother and sister glanced at each other, then nodded and ran off to stretch their legs. Elsa watched them go with a small sigh, sort of disturbed by how close she was to them already. Elsa shook her head amusedly at their playfulness and calmly walked out of the room. She wasn't expecting to run into someone, though.

"I saw that," Tigress commented, a tiny grin on her face.

Elsa furrowed her brow in confusion, puzzlement clear on her face. "What do you mean? What did you see?" she asked, worried that she had done something wrong.

Tigress's smile just expanded a little bit as she placed one hand on Elsa's shoulder. "I saw how you were with Sierra and Jay," she answered simply. Elsa still looked bewildered, though, so Tigress decided to continue. "You're going to make an amazing mother someday."

Elsa's eyes widened with astonishment at the idea. She had never really considered kids of her own… She didn't even know if she wanted any. After all, she'd probably freeze them before they could even take their first steps… Elsa was just about to ask a question when she realized Tigress was gone. She looked around, wondering if she'd just imagined Tigress, but that didn't change the way she was feeling sort of uncomfortable.

She just tried to shrug it off, though, as she walked into the kitchen. She found Bella in there, but no one else. Her eyes involuntarily narrowed as she crossed over and sat down at the table, right across form Bella. Bella just gave her a smile full of hatred. "Ah, Elsa. Just who I was waiting for," she greeted her all-too-innocently.

Elsa raised one eyebrow, crossing her arms. Disgust was clear on her face as she stared suspiciously at Bella. "Oh, yeah? And why is that?" she retorted, forgetting all about manners for the moment."

Bella's shoulders lifted in a small shrug. "Just to congratulate you on how well you acted in that whole forgiveness scene, with your slight trembling and fake fear. I still think you should have added in a few tears, though."

Elsa smirked at this. "Thanks, I try. I thought tears might have taken it over the edge, but oh well."

Bella's sweet smile then dropped, her gaze turning cold and hard. "I don't like you," she nearly hissed, her green eyes sharp with pure, bubbling hatred.

Elsa just simply laughed in return, her laugh mocking and amused. "Glad we're on the same page. I'm not too fond of you, either," she replied, her own blue eyes turning ice cold. It took all she had not to freeze Bella this very second. "It doesn't take darkness for me to hate you. You're just not a very likable person," she added. It was true. This wasn't the darkness acting. She hated what Bella did to Diablo with a passion, and how Bella is nearly isolating her children. Both acts were performed by the same person. The person that earned the Snow Queen's loathing.

"As far as I'm concerned, you don't have any reason to hate me. Either way, I think it is very clear that you are not only trying to take my Xavier from me, but now my other children as well," Bella's voice was filled with hatred.

Elsa just chuckled a tiny bit. "For your information, I have no intention of stealing Sierra or Jay from you, but I do encourage you bring them elsewhere or I will have to arrest you for treason against the Queen and have them brought to the castle to live there. Now, your Xavier… Hmm… Your Xavier…" she faked pondering. "Oh! You mean your eldest son who all he wanted was a mother for his whole life, yet the only mother he got abandoned him twenty years ago, forcing him to live with the worst uncle in the world? Is that the one you're talking about?"

Elsa's voice had slowly risen, as had she. Now she was leaning over the table with her hands on it palm down. Her eyes were endless pits of blazing blue fury and her voice was used like a double-edged dagger.

In response, Bella slapped Elsa so hard she saw stars. Elsa fell back into her chair, holding her already red left cheek and glaring at Bella through tears. She didn't want to cry in front of the person she hated, but her cheek burned a lot. It was then that Elsa noticed the fact that Bella had used her long, sharp nails in the slap. No wonder she felt liquid under her fingers. It turns out they weren't the only ones there, though. Or so was proven by the sudden gasp that sounded.

Bella and Elsa's heads both snapped to the right, where Diablo and Anna both stood in the doorway, looking horrified. Diablo's eyes were wide and Anna's hand was covering her mouth to hold back a sob. They had seen, and heard, everything. Elsa opened her mouth to explain, shock and embarrassment on her face, but Anna just sprinted over, wrapping her older sister in her arms.

"Elsa!" Anna choked out, though tears were streaming down her face. "Are you okay!?" she demanded, pulling back just enough to look Elsa in the eye. She semi-consciously grabbed Elsa's hand and removed it from her face. Anna bit her lip at the sight of the red mark that was already beginning to bruise and had blood oozing out of three places in it where Bella's long nails had dug into Elsa's skin. She then fell into another hug.

Elsa was confused that Anna wasn't mad at her for yelling at Bella the way she had. "Yeah… I-I'm fine… Here, I'll just… Freeze it and… Maybe the cold will numb it…?" she suggested, her blue eyes troubled as she brought her hand up to her face again. She tried, but she didn't even feel the cold. Therefore, her cheek continued to sting constantly. Elsa sighed. "It didn't work…" she admitted in a defeated voice, and then shakily wrapped her arms around Anna in return.

Diablo, on the other hand, stomped over to where Bella was sitting, puzzled, in her chair, as if she had no idea what just happened. "What in the world is wrong with you?" he shouted immediately, clenching his hands into fists at his side so that he wouldn't smack her upside the head. That didn't mean that he didn't have the tempting, sudden urge to.

Bella flinched at his tone, her wide eyes on Elsa. "I-I didn't mean to…" she began to say quietly, but Diablo cut her off.

"Oh, cut the act, _mother!_" he basically sneered the last word. "You and I both know that you loved the feeling of her skin under yours! You loved the stinging sensation! You loved every god-forbidden moment of it!" he nearly screamed at her. Now even Elsa and Anna were staring at him in shock. "Yeah, she said rude things too! Yeah, I'm disappointed in her! But not as disappointed as I am in you for physically hurting her!"

Bella shrunk back, cowering in guilt and wishing she could disappear into her chair forever. "I'm sorry…" she whispered, tears spilling out of her eyes at her son's cursed wrath.

Diablo's eyes narrowed in hatred and disgust. "Yeah, well, sorry's not good enough." He then abruptly turned from his mother, rushing towards Elsa. Anna backed up just in time for him to wrap his arms around his Queen. "I'm so sorry, Elsa…" he told her softly, despite what he had just said before. "I-I wish I had intervened before it was too late… Before you got hurt…"

Elsa just wrapped her trembling arms around Diablo, surprised at what she'd just witnessed from him. "You don't have to apologize…" she replied quietly, holding him closer. "I'm okay… I promise, I am…" she insisted, even though her cheek was still burning.

This just sparked Bella's jealousy, though. Bella scowled. "How come you have everyone on your side? How come everyone comes to your aid? Why not about me getting emotionally hurt? If she had slapped me, I swear everyone would still go to comfort you. How much do I have to give? What do I have to do to get someone on my side?"

Anna stepped forward, her blue eyes cold and resembling slightly what Elsa's had looked like earlier. "It's easy to have people on your side. All you have to do is be likable."

Without waiting for a reply from Bella, Anna towards Diablo. "We should leave. We can't stay here any longer without these two getting in another catfight," she told him, ignoring that Elsa and Bella were still in the room.

Diablo kept his arms around Elsa, though, as he processed Anna's words. Elsa was the first to speak up. She turned slightly so that she could look Bella in the eye. "I will have guards out everywhere. I want to see or be told of you, Sierra, and Jay moving to Arendelle. I cannot stand you, but not as much as I cannot stand you isolating two amazing children. Trust me; you still have a chance with them. Don't ruin it."

Bella hadn't been expecting for Elsa to talk to her. "Okay… But we don't have much funds…"

Elsa gave a small shrug, though she was still in a tight hug with Diablo. "Then we'll send you enough for you to move. I despise you, but your children… Let's just say, for the sake of time before we explode on each other again, they're just lucky they're more like their father."

Bella solemnly nodded, not moving or disagreeing as Elsa, Diablo, and Anna all left to go find Asche and Tigress and inform them. Bella sighed; for the first time in years, it was moving time.

* * *

_**Well, this was fun to write... xD. I honestly was not expecting this. My fingers just decided on this. I'm sorry, I would have had it out sooner, but I had a band concert x-x.**_


	28. Chapter 28

"Deputy Hawk."

"Commander Lion," Deputy Hawk dipped his feathered head in respect. After Tigress had been omitted, he had been promoted to Deputy. His Apprentice spot was taken by someone else as he moved up. "What is it that you request?" he asked in the throaty voice alteration he had earned long ago.

Commander Lion's lips curled up into a feline smile. His elbows were on his desk, his hands clasped together. A tiny growl started in his throat. "Our target has not changed. Queen Elsa of Arendelle must still fall," he rumbled simply.

Deputy Hawk nodded his head. "I understand that. I presume you have concocted a new attack for her, since our last one didn't turn out so well."

"No, no it didn't," Commander Lion agreed, his lion smile fading ever so slightly. "But I do have a new plan. Why wait? I want you to arrange a group to ambush them. There is Elsa, her sister, the mountain man, the snowman, our previous deputy, her shadow son, and Wolf's nephew. Sure there are many of them, but they are beyond weak. You need to choose four Predators to hunt them down. They are in the woods. We have Tigress's gloves; if you choose a Tracker, he or she will be able to find them."

"Very well," Deputy Hawk replied, thinking. "I shall choose… Tracker Panther, Warrior Gorilla, Warrior Tarantula, and Warrior Owl," he told his Commander after some thought.

Commander Lion nodded, approving of these choices. "They will work. But I insist you include my newest Apprentice, Apprentice Rhino. He must prove that he is worthy to be one of the Commander's only three Apprentices. You must send him as well. Five will do. After all, it is always best to be careful. They can kill the others if they want, but I order them to bring me Queen Elsa's head as well as her heart. On a silver platter, preferably."

* * *

Elsa sighed as she rested her head against Diablo's back. It hadn't been fun to leave Sierra and Jay, but they had to get going back to Arendelle. After all, she'd promise them that she'd see them again. Her arms were wrapped around Diablo, as she had insisted on him not carrying her. She was a distraction, and she didn't want Latte to get lost.

He kept content with Elsa's arms wrapped around him, though. He didn't even say goodbye to Bella. He hadn't wanted to. She claimed that was trying to be a good mother, yet there she went, slapping and insulting the woman he loved. He still wasn't too happy at Elsa for taking the bait and biting back, but he was getting over it. After all, she was just trying to do the right thing.

Asche and Tigress were chatting on their shadow horses, having small talks like they used to before Tigress joined The Predators. Of course, she noticed something on his face and licked her thumb, trying to wipe it off of his face. And, as usual, he jerked back, batting her hand away, claiming that he could clean his own face.

Kristoff and Anna were sitting, snuggled together, in the sled. Olaf was riding on Sven and rambling to him. Sven just nonchalantly bleated in response every now and then.

No one was expecting anyone to attack them. They were expecting an easy ride home. Of course, this would not be permitted. Or so was proven when a bird-like being dropped from a tree and landed on the back of Latte. A huge monkey-human being followed right after, sinking his teeth into the horse's rear as a spider-human being scared the carrots out of Sven and a black feline being flung himself in front of the shadow horses as a rough-skinned creature jumped in front of Latte. That was when chaos erupted.

Anna screamed, the first to react as Latte neighed in pain, flipping Elsa and Diablo off of her back and right in front of the rhino-being. Anna grabbed the nearest item, a suitcase of clothes, and threw it at the spider thing. Tigress was the most affected by their arrival, though, shocked to see her old friends turned against her. "Warrior Panther!" she screamed at Tracker Panther, whose fangs were plunging into the neck of Asche's shadow horse, making it disintegrate. With impossible flexibility, he somersaulted through the air and landed in front of Tigress, already getting to work on her own horse.

"That's Tracker Panther to you. Oh yeah, baby, I was promoted," he growled menacingly as they fell to the ground, though only he landed on his feet. "Oh, don't worry about me. The only woman, the only Predator I ever loved turned a traitor? I'll be fine as she leaves me and is turned human. Just fine!" he shouted, tackling Tigress to the ground. His eyes were full of blazing ire, jealousy, and, just below that, pain.

Diablo started shooting light at Warrior Gorilla, who was baring his still-normal teeth at the man. Elsa was in too much of a daze to process anything or help. Kristoff was even using a torch to set fire to items, tossing them at Warrior Tarantula. The spider human was just too quick though, and even with Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf throwing objects as well as Sven trying to bite him, he didn't get a single scratch.

Tigress matched Tracker Panther's attacks with her own darker ones, jerking her head back as he snapped at her throat, just barely missing. Asche gasped a she realized his mother needed his help, but he knew that he, just a shadow, couldn't take on a full-grown, fully trained Predator. He could create something to help, though. He used his darkness magic to conjure up dark monsters, yelling over the chaos and screams for them to attack. The shadows just managed to haul Tracker Panther off of Tigress, who hopped to her feet.

"I never felt the same way about you!" Tigress shouted at Tracker Panther. "I never did! You knew I still wasn't over Cougar! You knew that, yet you still tried to force me to get over him faster! I loved him, you know! I shouldn't be forced to marry someone that I don't care about! I shouldn't be forced to do anything I don't want to!" she continued in just as loud of a voice. She ran over, dealing multiple blows now to his face. "I. Never. Loved. You!" Each word was accentuated with another punch.

Tracker Panther growled in pure rage, and wrenched one hand free. Without hesitating or missing a beat, he lifted his hand. A bolt of fire shot out of his hand and, before Tigress could dodge; hit her right in the chest. With a scream, Tigress fell to the ground.

Tigress was knocked unconscious immediately and Tracker Panther turned towards Asche, snarling. Asche was quicker, though, pulling a knife out of his pocket and digging it deep into Tracker Panther's chest.

Diablo sent out another blast of light at Warrior Gorilla. This time, he didn't miss. Warrior Gorilla disintegrated with a roar, having had darkness powers before he died.

Elsa was out of the whole fight, though, not able to process anything. At least, until she felt tough hands on her, grabbing her and hauling her to her feet. Her eyes widened as she felt the feel of cold metal against her throat. A bloodcurdling scream erupted from her.

Everyone in the area stopped and turned. That is, the ones who were alive. Anna's hand flew up and covered her mouth as she swallowed a choked sob. Apprentice Rhino was holding Elsa against him, breathing heavily with blood tricking down his face. He had a knife pressed against her throat. "Not one more move! Not one more move!" he yelled. No one moved.

The silence seemed to stretch for hours before Warrior Tarantula finally crossed over to Apprentice Rhino, all eight arms hanging limply. Warrior Tarantula still had a creepy, bloody smile on his face, though. "Shall we deliver her head and heart on a silver platter, like told, or shall we be more creative?" he suggested in a surprisingly normal voice.

Before Apprentice Rhino had the ability to respond, though, an arrow found a home in the back of his neck. His knife clattered to the ground at the same time he did, nearly crushing the life out of Elsa.

It was as if someone had pressed the play button. The woman who had shot the arrow had long tan hair and green eyes. Diablo ran over to Elsa and Rhino, grunting as he pushed the Predator off of Elsa. Elsa coughed up dirt that was shoved into her mouth from the fall, her eyes wide.

Asche remained by his mother, trying not to cry. Anna and Kristoff both ran over to where Warrior Owl was, Olaf trailing quickly behind. The mystery woman's bow moved to the right, and an arrow sunk into Warrior Tarantula's heart. He screamed as he fell, just barely able to reach out and grab Anna's ankle. Anna crashed to the ground, trying to scratch his hairy hand away with her nails.

Kristoff doubled back to help his wife, neatly kicking the near-dead Warrior Tarantula where it counted. Warrior Tarantula's hand opened as the life left him. During the delay, though, an arrow had been plunged into Warrior Owl's stomach, and he fell, bleeding out slowly.

The woman ran up to meet the stricken group, not missing a single bloody beat. She sprinted over to where Tigress lay, crumpled on the ground with Asche crouching over her. Slowly, Elsa, who was now standing up on the ground, Diablo, Anna, and Kristoff realized what happened and followed her quickly as Olaf rushed to comfort Sven.

The stranger gently pushed Asche back, pressing two fingers to Tigress's neck. "She's alive. Tracker Panther missed her heart. You! You have ice powers, right?" she pointed at Elsa. Without giving Elsa a chance to confirm, she continued. "Good. Tigress will need it. Come over here, and place your hand on her chest. Channel your cold positively into her. Try not to put too much magic inside. Rather, cool her down. You need to hurry before it's too late."

Elsa silently obliged, leaping over and doing exactly as the stranger had said. Asche wasn't completely convinced, though. "Why are you helping her?" he choked out, tears streaming down his face.

The stranger glanced at Asche before returning her gaze to Tigress. "Let's just say, she's an old friend of mine… And my son…" she answered quietly. Asche heard, though. Nothing happened when Elsa finished, which worried everyone except for the stranger. "It will take a short while for the cold to come into full effect. She'll live, though. Don't be too surprised if she's a little traumatized. After all, fire is one of the minor enemies of darkness. All you have to do now is take her back to your kingdom and wait for her to awaken. I'm afraid that's all that can be done now."

The woman stood up and collected her red arrows, preparing to leave. She was about to, as well, when Anna spoke up. "What should we call you?" she asked, her eyes wide.

The woman smiled at Anna, a gentle smile. "You can call me Free," she answered before disappearing into the woods.

Asche didn't even hesitate to pick up his mother's body and carry her over to the sled. He tenderly set her down in the back of the sled, kissing her forehead. Everyone except for Asche was staring after Free, dumbfounded.

Diablo sighed as he approached Latte's body. His faithful steed had bite marks in her neck and was not breathing. He bent down next to her. "I'm sorry, girl… I guess now you get to be with Layla again, huh? Tell her not to worry about me. I've moved on, like she'd want me to. You can do that, yeah? Good. I love you. I'm going to miss you…" he sighed, leaning down and kissing his trusty mare's cheek. He stood up, turning to face Asche, "You think you can make me a shadow horse for the ride home?"

Asche nodded, conjuring up two shadow horses. He climbed onto one of them while Diablo hoisted himself onto the other, hauling Elsa up behind him. Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf all returned to the front of the sled as Sven and both of the shadow horses took off at a weary walk.

Anna gave a nervous laugh, directing attention to herself. "I guess now would be a pretty bad time to mention I'm pregnant, huh?"

* * *

_**Dun dun dun... A RL friend convinced me to do that last paragraph ^^.**_


	29. Chapter 29

_"__What!?"_ Elsa and Kristoff shouted simultaneously. Kristoff nearly fell out of the sled, his eyes wide. Elsa matched his expression, and would have crashed of off the shadow horse if it weren't for an astonished Diablo righting her.

Even Asche was looking surprised. Everyone except for the unconscious Tigress was staring, flabbergasted, at Anna as if she had flapped her arms and flown. "Yeah…" Anna smiled shyly, switching her gaze between Elsa and Kristoff every few seconds. "I-I'm only two months in, but… I've been suspecting for a few weeks… I've been hiding the symptoms the best I could until I found the perfect time to tell you all…"

The bewildered look never left anyone's face. "And now is the perfect time to tell us? When one of us is almost dead? After we were ambushed? Anna, what were you thinking?" Kristoff sighed, still stricken.

Anna immediately became defensive, her mood taking a great swing. "Yeah, well, I wanted to tell all of you before. I was about to, but look what happened! We can never be left alone just because we are royalty and because _she_ has powers!" she indignantly pointed a finger at Elsa, still facing Kristoff.

Elsa flinched, making Diablo protectively hold her closer. "Anna, I don't think you're being rational…" she said quietly, making Anna whirl around to face her.

At the sight of Elsa's troubled face, Anna's move shifted once more. "Aw, I'm sorry Elsa… I know it's not your fault. I'm just… Fed up with all of this, you know? Trust me, if I could have chosen when the baby would start developing, I would have chosen another time."

Elsa nodded solemnly. "I'm sorry, too, Anna…"

"What for?" Anna asked, furrowing her brow in confusion.

Elsa met Anna's gaze, a melancholy expression on the Queen's face. "Because of me, your perfect little baby might have powers… I might even freeze him or her when he or she arrives… I just… Want to apologize in advance. I'm definitely not happy with you for risking your life, and your child's life, to protect me when you were in such a vulnerable state, but right now I'm more sorry than anything else."

Against Kristoff's protests, Anna hopped out of the sled. Luckily, all of the horses and the reindeer had stopped moving at the first shout, and Anna landed neatly on her feet. It only took a few seconds for her to cross through the snow and reach Diablo and Elsa's shadow horse. She reached up and hugged her older sister's waist, resting her head against Elsa's knee. "Nothing bad is going to happen, Elsa. I promise. I'll make sure that we'll defeat The Predators, I'll have this child safely, and we will all live happily ever after. Okay?

Elsa reached down and wrapped her own arms around Anna the best she could. "That sounds very nice, but it's easier said than done. What if… What if the child does have powers? What if I actually do freeze him or her?" her eyes widened in fear as she imagined the possibilities. "What if I'm not a good aunt? Wait… Aunt…" she suddenly jerked back as she came to a realization. "I'm going to be an aunt! What if I'm a horrible aunt? What if he or she hates me?"

Tears had sprung to Elsa's eyes, but she fought them back. Still, her deep blue eyes were glossy. Anna frowned, then smacked Elsa's arm. "Don't think like that!" her frowned transformed to a scowl. "Stop worrying so much, really! The last thing I want is for my son or daughter to come into a world where its own aunt is afraid of it! I don't want him or her to be born into the life that I had for thirteen years!"

Elsa nodded a tiny bit, surprised by her younger sister's little outburst. "I'll try to be good. I promise," she replied, as if she was a little girl that had just gotten into trouble and didn't want to be grounded. Those were the same exact words she had said to try to convince their parents not to isolate her… It obviously didn't work.

Anna smiled gently. "Good. I have faith in you, Elsa. Okay?" Elsa's nod was all that was needed. Anna bounced back over to the sled, in a good mood again. She tossed herself carelessly into the sled, not quite getting the whole 'Be super cautious as to not hurt your baby' concept yet.

Kristoff chuckled a tiny bit at her antics. "Be careful. I just learned I'm going to be a father. Don't ruin this for me," he jokingly chastised, though his smile lessened his words into playful. In return, Anna stuck her tongue out at him and settled down in the sled.

"Alright. All that over, let's get home," Anna instructed. Even though she technically wasn't in charge, no one argued.

* * *

"Asche. I need you to see if you can get information out of a new prisoner," Elsa made the shadow turn around and face her. Asche had previously been examining paintings on the wall.

It was three days after the ambush, and so far no further signs of The Predators. They were back in Arendelle, and everyone is safe. Tigress is receiving true medical care and Anna's baby is still alive and healthy for now at least.

Asche dipped his head in respect. "Of course. But, may I ask… Why me? After all, I'm just a shadow, and you have much better interrogators," he responded with slight humor in his voice.

Elsa smiled at him. She loved how carefree, yet cautious at the same time he could be. "Her file states that she is afraid of the dark. She wouldn't listen to my interrogators, even when they brought out a whip, which I did not authorize. Her name is Iris Templeton. It is claimed that she is seventeen years old. Her parents both died in an epidemic, as did her sister. I expect you will be willing to find out if she is working alone, why she committed crimes, et cetera?"

Asche nodded, a small smile on his own face, despite the situation. He was just glad that Elsa trusted him. "Will do."

"Oh, and Asche, don't hurt her very much, okay? She's just really stricken. If you have to, use your magic to put out the flames on the torches, or even wrap her in darkness, but don't do too much. Especially after she was whipped around ten times, which I have punished her interrogators for. She had killed several citizens and robbed multiple stores. She is in the dungeon. Ask the guards for directions. I trust you won't hurt her very much?"

"Of course not. After all, I don't hurt people for the fun of it," Asche smiled a toothy, comical smile.

* * *

Asche walked through the dungeon halls with confidence. _Down the hall, take a right, last cell on the left,_ he repeated the guard's directions in his head as his cell keys jingled in his hand. He was glad for the distraction from his mother's condition, no matter how brief.

He approached the cell, taking out the black and white key that was described to be this cell's key and inserting it in the lock. He hummed quietly to himself as he unlocked it and walked in. There was a teenager, a girl, sitting in the corner. She had blonde hair and chocolate brown eyes. There was a small pool of blood underneath her, and he doubted she'd moved at all within the last twenty four hours. He walked up to her, wondering why she didn't have shackles or anything of the sort.

She was looking at the floor, her hair covering her face. "Hold your head higher," Asche commanded. The girl obliged without a word, lifting her head and staring Asche right in the eye. He resisted the urge to wince at the sight of the lash marks on her face, combined with some blood streaks and dark circles under her eyes. "I presume you are Iris Templeton?"

The corners of the girl's mouth curled up ever so slightly. "Yeah, that's me," her voice was hoarse from lack of usage. Her brown eyes seemed to see into Asche's soul, more so than Diablo's devil eye did.

Asche mentally shuddered under her gaze. "There's much to be said. I have questions. You have answers. If you do not answer completely frankly, you will be punished. I am more powerful than you-"

"Why is your skin gray?" Iris interrupted, her eyes switching to his gray cheek. "And your eyes glowing red?" she added, her gaze flicking back to Asche's eyes.

Asche glared at her, irritated. "I am a shadow. That means I have dark powers." At the word 'dark', Iris cringed. "And I know you're afraid of them. That is why you have to answer me. Understand?" he inquired. Iris nodded. "Good. Then, first of all, are you working with anyone?"

Iris shook her head, trembling ever so slightly. "No. I'm all alone. Don't worry, I'd never be so stupid as to trust someone."

Asche raised one eyebrow, but didn't question this. "What are your reasons for committing crimes against Arendelle? Were you upset? Did we anger you? Or were you simply acting out of boredom?" he asked, joking a tiny bit in spite of the situatuon.

Iris looked off, pretending to contemplate. "Hmmm…" she tapped one finger against her chin. "Most likely that last one. Boredom and curiosity, too. I just wanted to know what would happen. I mean, what did I have to lose? I don't value my life too high. I don't care if I die. As long as I die as myself. And I always have been a troublemaker."

Asche narrowed his eyes. "And do you confess to being responsible for seventeen murders, eight robberies, setting fire to twenty one Arendelle ships, and causing around five avalanches on Arendelle land?" he asked, reciting the crimes out of memory.

Iris gave a light, breathy laugh. "Researched me, now did you?" she countered. She hesitated, and then continued. "No, I am not responsible for any of those things. I mean, I knew I was a troublemaker, but whew! That's just a little out of line, even for me!" she chuckled, a casual smile on her beaten face.

"Fine. You're not answering correctly," Asche commented. He then flicked his wrist at the two torches in the room. His darkness doused them easily.

Iris's scream was easily heard. "Please, light them back up!" she begged. "I-I can't stay in the dark! They'll get me! I'm answering your questions honestly! Now, please, just bring the light back!"

Asche stared through the dark at her strangely, but took a box of matches out of his pocket anyways. He retrieved one, lit it, and quickly set the torches ablaze once again. Iris's hands were spread wide on the stone floor beneath her and she was visibly shaking, her eyes wide with fear. "Who is 'they'?"

Iris's eyes flicked to Asche. "The Predators. They always have someone lurking in the shadows… Trying to seize me… Because of who my father is."

"What? Your father's dead."

A tiny smile crept onto Iris's stricken face. "That's what they want you to think," she replied. She stood up on unbalanced legs and stumbled over to Asche. She latched her hands tightly onto his wrists. It was then that Asche noticed how skinny she was, as if she hadn't eaten in many days. She stared straight into his eyes, her own brown eyes pleading. "Look, I wasn't lying. I promise you, I wasn't. It was my sister, my _twin_ sister who committed those crimes. I didn't mind taking the blame, though. She killed herself after nearly getting caught. My father, he's the leader of The Predators. His name is Commander Lion. My mother died protecting my sister and I. Now he knows about me, though, and he wants me. He wants me on his side, but I don't want to be evil. I don't."

Asche nodded slightly. "I believe you…" he whispered. The intensity in her voice had shocked him. She dropped his wrists as if they were burning embers. She calmly sat back down in her corner, leaning her head against the wall. "What are you doing?"

"Waiting," Iris responded vaguely as she closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly.

Asche crossed over to where she was, resting against the wall and sliding down next to her. "Waiting for what?"

A tiny hint of a smile appeared on Iris's lips. "I don't know. Just… waiting for something to happen," she replied. Asche nodded, closing his own eyes and sighing. Never would he have imagined that Commander Lion would have a daughter, or that he'd ever meet her. Or be sitting willingly next to her.

_Oh well,_ he thought. _You never can predict the unpredictable…_

* * *

**_This was just a short little filler chapter, showing Anna's explanation, Elsa's fretting, and a possible new ally :3._**


	30. Chapter 30

"She's innocent." The sound of Asche's voice made Elsa look up from the letter she was writing to Corona discussing their previous trade agreement.

Elsa was confused by his words, though, forgetting momentarily that she had sent him to see a prisoner. "Excuse me?"

Asche cleared his throat and walked right up to the side of Elsa's desk. "She's innocent," he repeated, pronouncing the words clearly. Elsa still seemed confused, so her continued. "Iris Templeton. She's innocent. She claims that it was her sister who committed her accused crimes. Her twin sister. I searched her file, and her sister you mentioned was, indeed, her twin. Just a fluke that the epidemic didn't kill her until she killed herself."

Elsa understood, but she narrowed her eye suspiciously. "How do you know to trust her? How do you know she is speaking the truth?" she asked, not yet convinced.

A small smile crept onto Asche's face. "You didn't see her fear when I eliminated the flame. I did. No one with that much timidity could lie easily, albeit they could still somehow lie, in a way. Either way, my conscience speaks to me and informs me that her words are frank. It was my conscience mostly that brought me to your Diablo," he answered.

Elsa felt a small surge of excitement at the sound of him saying _her_ Diablo, but she ignored it for now. "That is interesting. I trust your judgment, though," she replied as she arranged the scattered papers on her desk, including her now-finished letter, and rid them of any poking corners by aligning them against the smooth wood. "She will be released. May I ask, what information you uncovered?"

"Well, her answers for my questions were lies, obviously, considering she did not commit crimes," Asche began matter-of-factly. "But I do have some fascinating facts… It seems as if our good friend Commander Lion has a daughter," he continued in a slightly sarcastic voice. "Or, two, really. One is dead. I just talked to the other one earlier."

Elsa's eyebrows raised in curiosity. "You're right; that is fascinating. Commander Lion's daughter… Huh. Who would have thought she'd be in my kingdom? Either way, you're sure she's not working with him?" she asked cautiously, standing up and turning so that she could fully face Asche.

Asche gave a tiny nod. "Yes, my intuition insists that she is harmless. Just a poor, lost girl who is hiding from her father. It definitely explains her fear of the dark, as well as it lets us know more about our little buddy. That reminds me, I meant to ask you something. How do you plan to win against him? I have met him, and trust me; he is not the type who loses easily. It is hard to defeat him. I've dueled him before in a friendly competition. Tigress forced me. It was a while ago, though. Still, I wonder how you plan to win?"

Elsa flashed Asche a miniature smile. "That's both easy and complicated. It's easy to know how, but complicated to know… _how…_ Really, we just have to act in a way that he would never, ever predict. We must be unexpected. How to do that, though, I'm not quite sure of. It's hard to think of a way to be unpredictable when it's something you would predict."

Asche sighed, and then perked up with a little jump, his red eyes wide with excitement. "I know! We just… Have to not have a plan! We must, as my father Cougar used to say, 'wing' it. It means we act on a whim. Don't plan, just… Do!" he exclaimed, his eyes wide with excitement.

Elsa contemplated this silently. "That… Might just be crazy enough to work. I'm not used to 'winging' it, as you say, so I may not make right choices at first. But that doesn't mean that it won't all end well. Like with the Great Freeze. Anna 'winged' it, and she ended up almost marrying Hans. And if it weren't for her 'winging' it, none of this would have happened. And though bad things have happened, great events have taken place as well."

Asche gave a slight incline of his head to show that he knew there were quite tragic events even hidden in the wondrous ones. "Like your sister's pregnancy?" he asked, a seemingly impeccable question. Given the circumstances, though, they made Elsa wince.

"That could be viewed in… Multiple ways," she began formally. "For one, it's wonderful that she's going to be a mother. I can see her as a playful, yet loving mother. On the other hand… Things could go wrong. The child could be killed. She could be not up to the task of being a mother. The child might have powers. I might freeze the baby. I might be a bad aunt… _I_ might not be ready for it…"

Asche held up one gray hand to stop her. "Hold it. There are always things that could go wrong, in every situation. But, if you think about it, there is always events that occur that are joyous. For example, 'winging' it could actually work. Anna's baby could be blooming as can be. She could have him or her safely. He or she could be powerless. Or, even if the child has powers, he or she can learn to conduct them, like you did and like Diablo's and mine came. You could get help preparing to be an aunt. But, to me, all you really have to do is act as yourself. Either way, you can always hone in on your instincts by handling a fake child if you'd like. It'll seem like you're not ready for it, but inside, you really will be," he responded, beaming at Elsa.

Elsa offered Asche a small grin in return. "Thank you Asche…" she whispered. Then, without a second's hesitation, she stepped forward and gave him a small, intimate hug. She felt better now. Maybe she could actually do it. Maybe she could actually be an aunt.

* * *

Anna rested against Kristoff, leaning into his warmth. They were sitting on their bed, with Kristoff's back against the bedpost. Anna was contentedly cuddled on his lap, nuzzled into his body. It was strange how easily their bodies fit together. Kristoff was dozing, giving slight snores here and there. Anna grinned at him as a snore escaped his slightly open mouth. Her main attention was on her stomach, though, where she felt a slight movement.

Anna gave a small sigh, snuggling into a more comfortable position. She had one hand on her stomach with her other hand holding Kristoff's. She glanced at Kristoff to make sure he was asleep, and then swallowed hard. "Hey there…" she whispered to her stomach. If you looked closely, a small bump was noticeable. "I know you probably can't hear me yet, but… I'm Anna, your mama."

As if on cue, Kristoff let out another snore, this one louder. Anna giggled a little bit, returning her attention to her stomach. "And that's Kristoff, your papa. I know he doesn't seem like much now, but trust me, you'll learn to love him. He's really not all that bad. But who I really wanted to talk to you about is your Aunt Elsa. She might be a little scary, or if not, scared when you get here. I promise, though, that you'll love her. I love her. She has magic, which is super cool!"

Anna struggled slightly to keep her voice low, but she managed. "Anyways, she may be afraid of holding you. No matter, though, because I know how to thaw her. Now, I'm hoping to pass that secret onto you, so when we're both old and wrinkled, you can always keep thawing her. Even when I'm gone, assuming that I die first, you'll need to know how to be there for her."

"Elsa is a very… Timid person, at times. Sometimes she believes that, in order to protect herself from someone she loves, she has to stay away. If she ever, _ever_ does this to you, don't give up. I know you probably don't understand me, but either way, you need to know this. You can never give up on her. If you do, she'll just give up on herself. Her whole life, she has been taught to 'conceal, don't feel', whatever that means. Still, she needs a lot of support. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but she can be a handful at times…" she trailed off jokingly. "Kidding. She's always worth the effort in the end. You just can't give up on her. Even if she shuts you out when I die, you need to bang down her door. You need to take a reindeer, and train it. Then, you simply teach it to ram its antlers into the door. Voila! You'll be in her room! All you have to do to thaw her is love her. It's simple, really."

Anna grinned as she felt another movement. "I'm trying to train her not to be afraid of you, though. I promise that you're going to come into a world where you will be loved for your whole life. First by us, and then one day, a long, long time from now, when you're all grown up, you'll experience a new kind of love. Just like Elsa is experiencing a new kind of love now. Elsa aside, I promise that you will never live one second thinking that you are hated by anyone. Even if you have magic, too, you will always be loved. You will _never_ have to conceal. Okay?"

Anna gave a small, happy sigh, and closed her eyes. Slowly, she nodded off in the comfort of her child and Kristoff. What she didn't know was there was someone on the other side of the door. Someone who was somehow able to hear everything.

* * *

Diablo smiled to himself on the other side of the door. He had been looking for Anna, wanting to ask if she knew where Elsa was, but once he heard her little speech to her child, he figured it best not to disturb her. Anyways, he could always go ask someone else.

He wandered through the castle. It didn't take long for him to find who he was looking for in a hallway. "Asche!" he called out. The shadow turned mid-step, turned around, and started coming back towards Diablo. "Do you happen to know where Elsa is?"

Asche shook his head, a puzzled expression on his face. "No, I don't. I thought she was with you?"

Diablo mimicked his cousin's movement. "No. She's not with Kristoff or Anna, and as you very well know, Tigress isn't allowed any visitors. I wonder where she could be…" he mused, looking off. Asche simply shrugged.

"I know where she is," a voice hissed from an unidentified place. Asche's eyes widened, but Diablo simply looked around, not knowing who it was. "Up here," the voice continued. Diablo traced it to where a girl sat on a high, empty shelf that was previously meant for glass figurines but was long cleared off.

Asche saw her as well. "Iris!" he called. She did a nice, graceful little leap down, landing neatly on her feet and dipping her head respectively to Asche. "Elsa released you?"

Iris just smiled. "Nope," she answered honestly. Then she giggled a few times, her voice sneaky as she bit her lower lip through her grin. "I snuck out!"

"You what!?" Asche exclaimed. "Iris, you cannot simply sneak out of the Arendelle dungeon! That… That's unjust!"

Diablo was confused through all of it. "Who is this? Wait, it doesn't matter," he covered, not knowing how much he sounded like Elsa five years ago, during the Great Freeze. "You said you know where Elsa is? How is this?"

Iris smirked at Diablo. "I have my ways. Anyways, she was on her way to release me. It's not like it made much of a difference. I'm still out, right?" Her brown eyes were bright with excitement.

Asche didn't seem as ecstatic, though. "But you weren't officially released yet, so you're still breaking the law."

"Eh, who cares about the law anyways? No one follows it," Iris commented carelessly. "Can't I just hide in the crowd for once? I mean, why draw attention to me?" she asked. Shouts erupted from behind her, and she whipped around to see guards racing towards her. "Uh oh."

Asche stepped forward, crossing an arm in front of Iris as the guards skidded to a halt in front of them. "Careful. She's with us. She is not to be punished. We are simple talking. The Queen was about to release her either way. You must leave. We need to speak in privacy," he commanded.

Fortunately, the guards recognized him as one of their Queen's trusted men, or rather, her only trusted shadow, so they left without question. Diablo turned back to Iris. "Enough bickering. Now, where is Elsa?"

Iris's grin faded a little bit. "Not that I give a care about any of you, or her, but I'm happy because I'm free, so I'm going to help you all out a little bit. Just when the ambush fails; just when the Queen is vulnerable, distracted by her sister; just when I come here… She disappears. There is only one answer. My father, Commander Lion, kidnapped- er, Queen-napped her."

* * *

**_This was a short little fluff chapter, only getting back into the plot, really, at the end. Hope you all like it, though :3_**


	31. Chapter 31

Asche sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He should have seen it coming. They all should have. He was the intuitive one, either way. Now Elsa was gone, and it was his entire fault. He walked over to the wall and leaned on it for a moment, before pulling back and smacking his hand on it hard out of frustration. Elsa might die because of him. If only he had not winged it…

Diablo was speechless, as well. He was trembling ever so slightly, staring at Iris as if she belonged in a mental institute. Which, maybe, she did. No one except her really knew. Iris's gleeful demeanor never faltered, though. "Alright, so. I'm going to go now. Freedom is sweet!" she cheered, turning and sprinting off at great speed before anyone could stop her.

It took another minute or so for Diablo to find his voice. "Wait! Come back!" he called after Iris, but the girl was too far gone. He tried to chase after her, but Asche's hand on his arm held him back. He turned abruptly to face his shadow cousin. "What are you doing? Let me go!" he demanded, his devil's eye blazing a soulless black.

Asche just stared at Diablo, his eyes large and sad. "It's no use. You'll never catch her or find her. I don't know where The Predators' base is… Tigress does, but she's still knocked out… I know that Iris knows. She has to. She's the type of person to know that kind of information. Chasing her won't work, though. She is stealthy. She will never fall into a scheme. She's just too intuitive. Maybe more so than me. Instead, we have to get her to approach us."

* * *

Asche stared out the window at the swirling winter storm that was beginning to form. He couldn't help but worry about Elsa. He couldn't tell if the progressing blizzard was from Elsa or if it was natural. He wouldn't be surprised if it was Elsa.

Now, he really wished he had paid more attention when he would help his mother when she was still a Predator. He couldn't help but feel that it was his fault that they couldn't chase after her. After all, had he learned where the base was, it would have been better.

Diablo was off waiting for Anna and Kristoff to wake so that he could tell them the horrible news. Asche didn't want to be there for it. It would simply break his enlightened yet still shadowy heart. He knew how close Anna and Elsa were, and he wouldn't be able to bear to see Anna's reaction, especially since she's pregnant and her mood would be swinging wildly. That was something Asche would prefer Diablo and Kristoff go through.

"Thought I would find you here." Somehow, Iris had materialized beside Asche, staring out the window as well. Asche didn't budge, having expected her. "Now that I've found you, I have questions. You have answers. If you do not answer completely frankly, you will be punished. I am more powerful than you think."

Asche grinned as she quoted him from the day before. "Oh, yeah? What questions of yours do I hold the answers to?"

Iris smirked at him, meeting his gaze. "First of all, what is it like to be a shadow? I'm curious; inform me."

Asche considered this, then his grin widened a little bit. "Well… It's very dark," he stated, his red eyes glowing with teasing.

Iris rolled her eyes playfully. "Not like that, Shadow Boy!" She gently slapped him, her own chocolate brown eyes full of humor. "I mean… Do you have to eat? Do you feel the cold and/or heat? How long have you been alive? Have you ever felt love?"

Asche sighed, preparing to launch into a long discussion, and then figured he could cut it short. "Technically, I don't have to eat. I can, but I don't have to. I can feel the cold and heat under certain circumstances. If the climate is caused by nature, it doesn't affect me, for I am sort of one with nature. If the temperature was caused by something or someone, though, I will feel it. I am eighteen, but in all technicalities, I am really six months old. I have felt love for my mother and my father."

"Seriously? You're only half a year old?" Iris giggled a little bit, her hand covering her mouth. Asche took note of how alike to Elsa she was when hiding her laughter. He didn't mention anything, though.

"Technically, yes," Asche replied, his grin turning mischievous. "But that doesn't mean that I'm not skilled, or powerful, or intuitive. That also doesn't mean that I haven't experienced the pride that is achieved when a good deed is done. I hope you understand that last part, for it could come in great handy to you," he continued, his voice turning solemn.

Iris's face turned serious and slightly cold within the blink of an eye. "Forgive me if I am mistaken, but as I recall, that pride is always brief. It never, ever lasts forever. Not the way satisfaction can," she responded smoothly. "After all, what good has it ever done me?"

Asche's gaze hardened considerably. "Let me ask you a few questions, Miss Templeton. Have you ever felt anything other than… Well, other than fear, and hate? What right do you have to ask me if I have felt love if you should be asking yourself?" he pressed, his red eyes glowing dangerously.

Iris turned her head slightly and looked out the window again. "Why should I even bother to feel those emotions? They are for the weak, and I am not weak."

"Ah, I see. I also now fully believe, with all of my shadow heart, that you _are_ Commander Lion's daughter. I can definitely see the resemblance." A too-innocent smile crept onto Asche's face.

Iris's eyes narrowed in hatred. "How _dare_ you call me resembling my father? I am not my father!" she shouted as she faced him once more. "I did not abandon any of my family or friends! I did not order anyone around! I did not brainwash hundreds of innocent people to be my minions! I did not kidnap Her Majesty and then take her to my home, the base of my antagonist group, at the Heart of the forest!"

When she finished, Asche's smile became genuine, growing a little bit as his eyes looked almost like they were small flames that were being doused. "Thank you, Iris. That was all that I needed," he dipped his head in thanks.

Iris stumbled back, her hand over her mouth and silent tears slipping down her face as she realized what happened. "You… You used me…" she whispered. "You tricked me…"

Asche's eyes were sad and large with regret. "I'm sorry… I truly am. But Queen Elsa is my priority. I cannot let anything, or anyone, stand in my way. I am very deeply sorry… But it was the only way I could retrieve the information…" he answered softly, his voice filled with guilt.

Iris was still hurt, though. His Band-Aid words wouldn't heal the wound she was feeling. "I-I trusted you… And you just went and used my curiosity against me… I was just starting to think, 'Hey, maybe not all shadows are bad' when you had to go and ruin it. You are a sick man… Actually, you're not even a man. You're a monster. A beast! You are a creature of enmity and ire… You. Are. A. Monster!" Her voice rose as she spoke, tears pooling down her face and dripping off of her chin.

Asche stood up and walked over to her. He fetched a tissue out of his sleeve, and used it to gently wipe her wet cheeks. "I'm sorry," he repeated. "I know I am all of those things, and I am sorry. There is really nothing I can do now. Except, I will promise you this: I will make it up to you. I will make it better once all of this is over. No one is too shattered to not be able to be fixed with a little support. I know you have no reason to trust me, and I have no right to ask you to trust me, but I'm doing it anyways. You have to help us, and you will get what you most desire. You will be free of your father's grasp. It can be okay, if you just take a leap of faith. Please… I am a man, or monster, if you prefer, of my word. I vow that, after this is fixed, you can be too. You will never live another second feeling lonely. That is something I can guarantee."

Iris trembled slightly, paralyzed by his words. Then, one tiny, voluntary movement slipped out. She gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head. "No…" Her voice was hoarse with betrayal. She cleared her throat, and then continued. "No," she repeated, this time louder and clearer. "I do not trust you. I actually think that this ordeal has ruined me from ever trusting anyone ever again. Congratulations. You can go tell your friends that you know where the base is, and that while gaining your information, you've made me unable to trust anyone ever again. I hope you're happy."

With that, she smacked his hand away and turned around. Silently sobbing from the betrayal, she walked off.

* * *

Elsa groaned, waking up to a nice, pounding headache. She opened her eyes sleepily, closed them, and then her deep blue eyes popped open again as everything came to her. She tried to jump up and run, but she was met with a surprise. Her hands were in titanium shackles, and there were titanium straps pinning her to the stone floor in several places.

Her eyes darted around wildly as she tried to sit up still, gasping as her neck was met with a strip of metal. There were two straps on each of her limbs, two over her torso, and one over her neck. Strangely enough, though, she wasn't gagged.

_Okay… I need to get things straight… What do I remember?_ She thought to herself. The memories flooded her. She remembered walking to go release Iris, and then a sack being flung over her head as her hands were smothered with tight gloves that were being held against her skin by handcuffs.

She recalled trying to scream, and then something very heavy, and very thick slamming into her head. Then everything went black. At least that explained her headache…

She wasn't alone, though. "Oh. She's awoken," a throaty, almost purring voice said.

Elsa looked over to see a hideous cross between a man and a lion coming nearer by the second. "I'm going to assume that you are Commander Lion. I have heard so much about you. I'm also going to assume that you kidnapped me."

Commander Lion gave a strange, feline smile. "Yes, you are correct about both of those things. After my plague, death sentence, and ambush failed, I figured that if you want to take a bull out, you have to grasp it by its horns. That's why you're here. You, Elsa, are the bull. I am the butcher. I know several people who would enjoy chopped bull. Don't you?" he sneered.

Elsa gave a cold, chilling laugh. "If it helps you sleep well at night. Let me ask you this, though… Why me? I know you want to eliminate all other power sources, but why me? Why am I your first victim?"

"Oh, that's easy… It was simply by chance. Quite unlucky, you are. Isolation, freezing your kingdom, and now this…" Commander Lion trailed off as he gazed loathingly down at her.

If looks could kill, then Elsa's icy glare would have Commander Lion crumbling to dust. Unfortunately, though, they couldn't. "You watch out. You don't know who you're messing with. You have no idea what I am capable of," she whispered, her voice hard as a rock.

Commander Lion didn't waver. "Oh, but that is where you are wrong… Dear girl, you have no idea what _I_ am capable of… I'd suggest you not jump to conclusions," he grinned even wider, then looked up at a nearby guard. "Don't feed her tonight. She doesn't deserve it. Now, gag her."

The guard nodded in respect, taking out a cloth and spread his winged arms, flapping over to where Elsa was. He easily stuffed the cloth in her mouth and tied it around the back of her head. The guard then left with Commander Lion.

No one was left to hear Elsa's muffled screams.

* * *

_**I'm sorry I wasn't able to update yesterday; I was busier than I thought I would be x-x. I had company, and had to clean all day before they came. Anyways, I hope this chapter holds enough drama to be a proper apology :).**_


	32. Chapter 32

Anna stirred slightly, stretching her arm out. She had forgotten that she was asleep on Kristoff and her hand accidentally smothered his face, waking him as well. Anna opened her eyes and looked sleepily around. A strange expression crossed onto her face at the sight of Diablo dozing on a chair by the door.

She reached out and shook Kristoff's arm to fully wake him up. He opened his brown eyes and looked at her. She glanced in Diablo's direction, not trusting herself to point and maybe make some involuntary noise. Kristoff followed her gaze, and raised an eyebrow at Diablo.

Anna met her husband's gaze again, and they came to a silent nonverbal agreement. They both sat up wearily, and Kristoff slid Anna off of his lap. She didn't protest. Kristoff walked soundlessly over to the sleeping Diablo.

Kristoff gently shook Diablo's shoulder. "Hey… Diablo… You have to wake up now," he whispered softly.

Diablo literally jumped out of the chair, his eyes wide as his hand flung out and he fell to the floor. A bolt of light shot out of his hand, but Kristoff and Anna both ducked to avoid it. They had been expecting Diablo to use his powers when in a panic.

Anna gave a small chuckle at the sight of Diablo lying on the floor, relaxing as he realized where he was and who woke him. "You shouldn't scare me like that," Diablo told Kristoff, standing up and righting the chair that had fallen in his wake.

Kristoff just grinned. "I know," he said nonchalantly. "Now, why were you sleeping in here? Did you have nowhere else to go?"

Diablo smacked his hand on his forehead. "I'm sorry. I forgot to tell you…" His eyes suddenly filled with fear as he remembered exactly what happened. "Anna! Kristoff! It's Elsa!"

Kristoff looked very concerned instantaneously, but Anna wasn't quite getting yet that something was wrong with Elsa. "Where? Is she behind you?" she asked, her voice full of pure bewilderment. "Where is she?" she demanded as Diablo remained quiet.

"Elsa is… Well… She was kidnapped by Commander Lion…" Diablo sighed, his eyes large with despair and heartbreak.

Anna fell onto her back again, having a hard time breathing. Elsa had just survived the plague a few days ago… Shouldn't Anna be allowed to have her sister back? Shouldn't she be allowed to love and see and hug her sister? Shouldn't she be allowed to _have_ a sister? She buried her face in her hands, sobbing. She didn't know what to say, so she decided to just not say anything yet.

Kristoff and Diablo exchanged a look, and then both walked over to hug and comfort her. It was normal for Kristoff, but more than awkward for Diablo. Diablo was used to hugging and comforting Elsa, and no one else. He was used to the feel of Elsa's body in his arms, not Anna's. He still tried his best, though, because he knew what Anna must be going through. It's exactly what he went through, yet worse, since Anna has known Elsa for the entire 23 years Anna has been alive, save for the isolation.

"It's not fair!" Anna suddenly shouted, throwing her hands out in frustration and neatly knocking Diablo of off her. Ire was boiling in her blue eyes, turning them dark and hard. Diablo simply sat up next to her. "It's not fair that I can never see my sister! I mean, she's _my_ sister! How hard can it be to have my sister with me for more than a few days? How long do I have to wait? She always has Queen duties as well, so she never gets to play with me anymore! I want… I want to play! I want to play with my sister!" she rambled in a loud voice. Then, her mood swung again. "I want my sister back…" she whispered, tears continuing to fall in a steady stream down her face.

Diablo simply placed his hand comfortingly on Anna's shoulder. She glanced at him, not pausing in her weeping. "I know it's hard…" he began softly. "But I know what you're going through. I love her too, Anna, and so does Kristoff, I'm sure. We all love her in completely different ways, but we all still love her. That's what matters, right? We will find a way to save her. Since Tigress's burns are still being treated and she is allowed no visitors, none of us know where The Predators' base is. Asche is off asking an ex-prisoner whose father just happens to be Commander Lion," he continued, trying his best to make his voice soothing.

Anna was puzzled by that last bit. "Wait… Commander Lion has a child?" she asked. "Since when?"

"Yes, he has a daughter. Her name is Iris Templeton. She is seventeen years old and _very_ mysterious," he scoffed, narrowing his eyes as he thought about her. "She was apparently accused for her twin sister's crimes, but her twin sister is now dead. It seems as though that she is terrified of the dark, which is understandable. If anyone knows where the base is, it's her," he continued.

Anna's mood turned to anger once again, and she opened her mouth to speak, but closed it once the door swung open.

Asche rushed in, looking quite breathless. "I have the information. It wasn't easy for either of us and I think I just made myself an eternal enemy, but I received the information of the base," he breathed out, panting a little bit as he crossed over, sitting on the edge of Anna and Kristoff's bed.

"Well? Where is she? Where is Elsa?" Diablo prompted since Anna was sobbing onto Kristoff's shirt currently, rendering them both occupied.

Asche didn't hesitate another second. "She's in the Heart of the forest, wherever that is. I don't have a map, though…"

Anna suddenly gasped, jerking out of Kristoff's gasp. Her eyes were wide and shining with excitement. "I do! I have a map! Elsa made me keep a map of the castle and maps of several views of Arendelle in my dresser in case something happens!" she exclaimed, jumping out of bed and bouncing over to her dresser.

"Thank the Lord for that woman's suspicions," Asch gave a breathy laugh, walking over and meeting Anna halfway, taking the map that she had retrieved. He came back over to the bed with her and opened the map. "Let's see…" he mused, noticing that this was a map of the forest. "I can't find it. I can't seem to locate the Heart of the forest," he continued, puzzled.

Everyone else was equally bewildered. Kristoff exited the room quietly, coming back with an unlit lantern. "Here. Maybe this will help us see it better," he suggested, handing the lantern to Diablo.

Diablo took it, nodding his thanks, and used his magic to set it alight, even though the lights in the room were already on. "I'd expect the Heart of the forest to be in the center, right? And, look. The center is blurred out. Maybe if we try placing it in better light…" he mumbled to himself, grabbing the map and holding the middle of it directly over the lantern. No luck. He even tried blowing on it in case there was dust, but nothing happened.

"It's pretty obvious that that is where we're supposed to go," Kristoff spoke up again, pointing to the blurred center. "But it is also quite apparent that it is unmapped. Either way, we know how to get there. We can follow that little trail there that seems to go into the blur. Whatever is in there…" he trailed off.

"We'll just have to find out for ourselves," Anna finished, too distracted to think about how much she missed Elsa at the moment. "Okay. Let's go. Don't any of you dare to even think about trying to stop me just because I'm pregnant. I'm not that far along, or disabled. I still pack a pretty good punch."

* * *

"Can you tell me something? Please?" Elsa asked, her voice ringing through the cell. She had long since been ungagged, and had been staring suspiciously at Commander Lion, who was sitting in a chair by the door, the whole time.

Commander Lion met her gaze, putting his book down on the floor. He stood up and walked over to her. She was still strapped down and shackled, but he didn't want her to die quite yet. "That depends," he answered. "Oh, look. I just did tell you something," he smiled cruelly.

"Not that," Elsa rolled her eyes. She was surprised at how calm she was, considering the circumstances. She didn't wait for him to reply before she continued. "Can you tell me about your… Well, your wife? And daughters?"

Commander Lion's smile dropped immediately. "While I wait for my plan to come into play, I guess I could humor you a little bit… My wife was named Alva. My daughters were named Erika and Iris. All except for Iris are dead now. What more could you want to know? There's nothing else to it. My only living family doesn't want to be with her old man. The rest are gone. I can't think of anything else to say."

Elsa gave a small sigh. "Maybe if you'd stop chasing the poor girl with magic and let her be… She might come back. If you give up your evil. Let me tell you that magic doesn't fix everything. Usually, it destroys everything. If you could see yourself from her eyes, you'd be scared as well," she told him pointedly.

"I realize that," Commander Lion snapped in reply, then calmed himself a little bit. "I just don't know how. I was raised to be evil. I can't simply change it. And no matter what you say, your powers will still be taken away as soon as the poison is ready. You cannot alter your fate, and I cannot alter mine. Sometimes we just have to accept our destiny. Like now. After your magic is gone, you will be killed. It's that simple, really."

Elsa's gaze hardened, turning icy cold. "No, it's not that simple. Just because you brainwashed and took control of the minds of several hundreds of people, giving them the illusion that they have power, and then forcing them to be your minions does not change the fact that true love always wins. The good side always wins. We have to. It's our job. So, you know what I say?" she inquired, glaring even more at Commander Lion.

"What do you have to say?" he sneered in reply, his voice mocking.

Elsa didn't waver. "I say that you need to be prepared. You have an army of hate, of despair and agony. I have an army of loyalty. I have an army of protection. I have an army of love. You need to be cautious. You don't know a thing about me. I know you think you do know me, but you don't. You might want to know who you're up against. Love will thaw. Love will always thaw. That means that no matter what happens, your little scheme here, will always be destroyed by love. You will never have my magic. You can try, but unlike you and your cursed minions, I was born with my powers. Mine are stronger. Think about that for a while, will you?"

* * *

Iris sat on the edge of the bed of the guest room, fiddling with her fingers a little bit. She sighed; she knew what she had to do. She knew where she had to go. She just didn't want to accept it. She narrowed her eyes as her mind wandered to Shadow Boy. She never even caught his name, but at the moment, she didn't want it. She was content calling him Shadow Boy.

She couldn't help but wonder why she had chosen to trust him in the first place, even when she didn't know his name or who he was. She clenched her hands into fists at her stupidity. She hated being used by someone she didn't know. If she knew the person, like she did her sister, she was fine being taken advantage of. But not by a stranger. Not by someone she had just met.

Iris squeezed her eyes tight. No amount of distracting thoughts would ever get her to not know what needed to be done.

* * *

_**I'm sorry I'm missing days guys x-x. My last week of school turned out super busy, resulting in a sore voice, sore muscles, and sunburns. Yay. I only have two more days left, so I promise I'll get back on track once school is out :).**_


	33. Chapter 33

No words were exchanged as Anna, Kristoff, Asche, and Diablo all prepared to leave. Kristoff hauled extra supplies into the sled in case the blizzard worsened. It was already snowing pretty badly, but they had to get to Elsa before it was too late. Everyone understood that. They had decided not to take Olaf this time, since he has a tendency to come apart in storms.

Asche had created a shadow reindeer to ride on. He would have created a shadow horse, but he had lost a bet to Kristoff about how many times Anna's mood could swing within a span of ten minutes. A bet which Anna did not know about, nor did she need to. For now, she thinks Kristoff dared Asche to do it.

Anna had already thrown up a good amount of times earlier that day, and currently she was bearing a small headache. She ignored it, though. She scooted over as Kristoff climbed inside, finally done with the emergency supplies. She leaned against him once he was in, giving a small sigh of relief at the familiar feel of his broad, muscular body behind her. Their hands found each other without a word.

Kristoff's other hand was holding Sven's reins. He didn't want Anna to risk her life as well as the baby's life, but when she walks into something, there's no going back for her. Especially if it has to do with Elsa. He gave her hand a small, loving squeeze, and she returned it without hesitation.

Diablo was sitting rather nervously on a new, supposedly finely-bred horse whose owner had decided to let him ride on for the trip. He awkwardly patted the Friesian's neck. Apparently, the male's name was Eirik. Diablo wasn't used to a Friesian, though, for Latte had been a Cremello Quarter Horse. Needless to say, he fell off almost 8 times within being on Eirik for only five minutes.

Diablo's heart ached, and not only for Elsa. He missed Latte. The mare had been his best friend for a long, long time. Even after he accidentally killed Layla, Latte had stayed by him. It just felt wrong to be on a different horse. It felt… Betraying.

"Alright. Are we all ready to go?" Asche suddenly broke the silence, his voice carrying over to every person there. He was met with quiet nods. "Very well then. Let us be off."

The shadow reindeer led the way, Sven galloping to catch up, and finally, Eirik following behind. Diablo held on tightly to the horse's reins. Eirik had a pretty comfortable, smooth gait, but Diablo still wasn't used to him. To say the least, Diablo was more than glad that he wouldn't have to get used to the horse. He just had to get to the Heart of the forest, get Elsa back, and come home. Then, the Friesian could go with his original owner, and Diablo could maybe talk Elsa into letting him have another horse that he picks.

Diablo hadn't chosen Eirik. Eirik's owner, a woman who lives on the outskirts of town, was the only one who would accept payment for them to use her horse on such a dangerous journey. Even so, Diablo didn't like the feel of the Friesian's structure. He missed Latte.

Friesians aren't usually horses for speed, so Diablo had to squeeze his heels into the horse's side to get him to go faster. The horse whinnied at him in protest, but sped up anyways.

"I know, buddy…" Diablo breathed out. "This isn't exactly my comfort zone either… But we have to do it. We have to save Elsa. You'll get many treats when we go home, I promise. You just have to… Well, you just have to bear with me… Okay?"

Unlike Latte, Eirik didn't reply. Diablo uttered a small sigh. Eirik was definitely a fine horse, but he wasn't Latte. He wasn't Diablo's best friend.

A mostly comfortable but slightly awkward and rather desperate quiet fell upon everyone then, and they all rode on without pausing. There were times when warnings were called out, cautioning everyone of fallen trees or thick undergrowth, but the silence claimed a large portion of time.

"Look!" Asche called out, pointing ahead. In front of them was a small, old, and abandoned cabin. The group had been traveling for hours and the storm hadn't allowed them to get to the Heart quite yet. Relieved, the weary group rushed over towards the cabin, pushing their mounts, horse and reindeer alike, faster.

They didn't even get halfway there, though, when roars emanated from inside. All mounts were halted immediately as Asche jumped off, walking closer warily.

Chaos erupted right then, as several bolts of fire erupted from the cabin. Anna screamed as Sven just barely propelled them away from one of the creatures that were formed from the fire. The creatures were all flames, and nothing else. "Elementals!" Anna screeched in horror as she grabbed Kristoff's arm, catapulting them both out of the sled. Just in time, too, since the sled had then burst into flames. Kristoff hurried to release Sven from his reins.

Diablo called out in terror as Eirik flipped out, throwing Diablo off of his back and fleeing immediately. Diablo scrambled away, narrowly avoiding a bad burning. One of them roared at him, breathing fire, which Diablo tried to escape. Fire scathed his arm, though, and he grunted in pain.

Asche destroyed his shadow reindeer, no longer needed it, and backed up, looking over at Diablo, who was trying to shoot light at them. "Stop it!" Asche cried out. "Fire is a form of light! You'll only make them stronger!"

Diablo nodded and stopped, continuing to retreat silently and avoid the fire elementals. Asche was more useful as he killed many of them with his darkness magic. They just kept coming, though, and he was starting to feel overwhelmed.

"Intruders!" one of them hissed at the bunch, which was now closed into a small circle, fire elementals on every side, blocking every exit and melting the snow. "Commander Lion warned about these mortals coming!"

Diablo narrowed his eyes, feeling his ire rise like boiling water. He knew that nothing he could do would help and getting angry would only lessen his chances of living. He couldn't stop it, though. He felt Anna's hand on his good arm, and he turned to look at her.

Anna's eyes were large and sad. Diablo noticed that she had a burn mark on her right cheek. "Diablo, please don't," she said quietly. "It'll only become more dangerous for you, which Elsa wouldn't want. Please. I don't know what I'd do with her if you died. She'd be a mess. You didn't see her when you left. I did. Just… Try to calm down. Elsa really loves you. I can see it in her eyes when she looks at you. I can feel it in the air when she's around you. She may not want to admit it, but she really does. I know this is a bad time for a pep talk, but you need to try and keep your temper, just this once. I know your curse is making it hard for you, but please just try. Just this once. For Elsa," she finished, looking around nervously at the fire elementals.

Diablo took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Okay, I'll try…" he whispered, fighting hard against the hatred and lovesickness that was threatening to drown him from inside. "For Elsa," he confirmed. Anna gave a small, weak smile, knocking him to the ground.

Diablo's eyes widened as a fireball whizzed by above him right where he had just been. Where he would still be if Anna hadn't caught him off guard with her speech about Elsa and then saved him.

Anna was back into defensive mode now, her deep blue eyes seeming to glow against the light of the fire as she crouched next to Kristoff, getting ready to duck whenever she needed to. She glanced at Asche, who was still fighting off the elementals the best he could, and determined that he was fine for now.

"Uh, guys… I don't think that this is a very good time for chatting…" Kristoff called out as he dropped to the floor, rolling to avoid two fireballs.

Asche grunted as a fireball hit his foot, using his powers to quickly heal it before continuing to attack the beings. He was glad that he could heal himself with his powers, since he was a shadow and his powers were dark. Now wasn't a proper time to think about it, though. "I agree!" he added, his red eyes glowing bright against the firelight.

Asche gasped as he backed over a tree root, tripping and ultimately falling into Diablo. Diablo hissed in annoyance as the fire elementals advanced further.

"You know guys…" Anna spoke up, not moving her eyes as they were all pressed into a circle so tight that they were all touching. "To be honest, I'm not quite thrilled about having to spend my last moments with a group of guys. Anyways, let's just take a minute and pray for Elsa's safety…"

Before anyone moved a muscle, the fire elementals all started to growl. Real, natural water, instead of the melted coating on the floor, spurted out of the ground, giving the illusion of rain all over. The elementals bellowed in rage as they were doused, all flame being extinguished.

Anna gave a joyous laugh at the miracle. "Sprinklers!" she shouted, giving little whoops of happiness. The water against the fire brought on a cold mist, which showed only a single silhouette. Anna glanced at the rest of the group, then back at the silhouette. "Well, let's go meet our savior."

They needn't move a muscle, as it turned out. The silhouette ran to them quickly, not missing a beat and getting to work checking burns before anyone could even register her features. Asche broke into a smile as he recognized the unforgettable chocolate brown eyes and silky blonde hair. "Iris," he greeted her as she came to him.

She narrowed her eyes hatefully at him. "Hello, Shadow Boy," she nearly spat out. "You seem to be fine, eh? And, before you get any wrong ideas, I still don't trust you. I don't trust any of you. After all, it was me that just had to save your weak little behinds."

Asche's gaze hardened at her words. "Why _did_ you save us then?" he countered, his voice cold.

Iris gave a small shrug. "I save you all because I care. Yes, I care. That's a feeling even I am capable of. I'm not the coldhearted creature you think I am. Either way, I don't care about you," she scowled, her voice just as icy.

"I never said you were a coldhearted creature," Asche's red eyes began to glow with anger.

"But you implied it," Iris didn't miss a beat.

"Awkward…" Anna gave a nervous giggle, drawing the eyes of both Iris and Asche to her. She gave a shy smile, stepping closer to Kristoff.

Iris's scowl dropped then and she sighed. "After all, I don't care about you." Her voice was clearly directed at Asche still. "I care about _her,"_ she continued, jerking her chin in Anna's direction.

Anna's eyes widened as Iris crossed over to her. "I'm sorry… But do I know you?" she asked cautiously, taking a tiny step back.

A small smile crept onto Iris's face. "No, you don't. I'm sure you've heard of me, though. The name is Iris Templeton. I care about you because… Well, let's just say I've lost my sister before, so I know what you're going through," she replied softly, her voice now reassuring with her smile mimicking her voice.

"Y-you do?" Anna inquired, surprise clear on her face. Iris's small nod and glossy eyes were enough of an answer. Anna reached out and hugged Iris right then.

Iris tensed up, having not expected the hug. She stumbled back slightly, staring at Anna, who had latched onto her, like she was crazy. "I-I don't know what to do…" she whispered, glancing at Diablo. Diablo gave a chuckle and walked over to them. Using his right, unburned arm, he slowly wrapped Iris's arms around Anna. Gradually, Iris began to relax. Anna was the first one to pull away, smiling with a few tears down her cheeks. "Come on, now. We're almost there," Iris spoke again, glancing behind Anna at the dense undergrowth ahead.

* * *

_**A nice, short little battle chapter**_**:3.**


	34. Chapter 34

Elsa was still strapped down to a table. She had begun to entertain herself with staring at the old stone ceiling and pretending that she could find shapes in the cracks. She'd then imagine ways that these shapes could trap Commander Lion and set her free. Her imagination ran wild, to say the least.

"It's time." The voice of Commander Lion reached into Elsa's lonely mind, breaking through barriers of boredom and making her cringe. She switched her eyes over to him, turning her head to the right as much as her neck strap would allow.

The titanium on her hadn't been strong enough, but Commander Lion didn't need to know that. Elsa resisted the urge to smile. It was time for her powers to be taken. _Think again, old man,_ she thought to herself, mentally smirking. She loved her powers, though they were a trouble at times. She wasn't letting anyone take them away. That's why she had concocted a plan. A foolproof plan, at that. "I never did ask," she spoke up. "Why do you want my powers?"

Commander Lion flashed a classic feline smile. "I have not ice powers yet. I am going to create the most powerful demon slave I can have… And I need ice magic for that," he replied simply. He figured that he could tell her, since she was going to have them taken away anyways.

Commander Lion padded wordlessly over to her flat, hard table. "Sure I could have chosen another type of magic that I don't have yet, but… Well, as we've established, you're rather unlucky."

Elsa could feel her natural anger boiling up inside of her. The darkness and light magic had both left her the moment she had been taken to the headquarters, which she was partially relieved about. "And you say your potion is ready now?" she inquired, trying to waste time.

In reply, Commander Lion fetched a small, purple flask out of his pocket. He held it so close to Elsa's face that it was hard for her to focus on it. Elsa blinked a few times, jerking her head back against the table. "Leave," Commander Lion instructed the guards on the outside. "Lock it so that no one can escape from the inside. If she somehow breaks free, I can handle her. If you hear me call, you come in from the outside. Got it?"

The guards nodded and left, the sliding of keys in the keyhole sounding throughout the room, echoing against the gray walls.

"Now," Commander Lion purred, twirling a lock of Elsa's platinum blonde hair around one of his furry fingers idly. "Let's get started, shall we?"

* * *

"Here we are," Iris announced. The rest of the group looked around, confused, before Iris hopped out of the sled and pointed to a bush. "That's the entrance," she continued vaguely. She crossed over to a different bush nearby and reached in, searching for something.

Asche and Diablo jumped off of their shadow horses, and Asche quickly disintegrated them. Anna and Kristoff both climbed out of the sled, Anna bouncing over to Iris while Kristoff got to work unlatching Sven from the sled. "What are you looking for?" Anna questioned. Iris didn't answer at first, but she pulled out a green bag that had blended perfectly with the leaves.

"This," Iris replied simply. The rest of the group came over and they all gathered around Iris as she opened the bag. Iris pulled out several black bundles, tossing them to each person, shadow and human alike. "Clothes," she explained. "Put them on. Anna, yours might be a bit big. I hadn't known your size because of your… Well, you know."

Diablo stared at the bundle. He looked around to see that Asche and Kristoff were putting their disguises on over their old clothes, but Diablo was doubtful. "How did you know we were coming? And how did you know _our_ sizes?" he inquired.

Iris flashed him a small smile as she pulled her own bundle on over her clothes. "I figured that you were all going to try to find Elsa, and that I couldn't just sat back and watch you all die without some direction. I guessed your guys' sizes, and I'm pretty good at guessing. Except if there is an altercation," she explained. "These outfits will cover our whole bodies except for our shoes, but those don't matter. The Predators wear their hoods on and masks up at all times, so we don't have to worry about being recognized."

Diablo finally started putting on his clothes, and Anna emerged from a tree with her dress in hand and the clothes on. "Okay!" she said. "I had to actually change, since I couldn't put it on over my dress," she grinned a classic Anna-smile.

Iris returned her smile. "That works," she agreed. Then her smile dropped as she turned to Asche, narrowing her eyes at him. "You know, if you wanted to know where the base is, you could have just asked. I know all about The Predators. My sister and I had made sure we'd known everything, just in case our father ever wanted to attack. So, there," she told him, before turning back to the rest of the group. "The reindeer has to stay. You all need to know the important people. Commander Lion is, obviously, the leader. His deputy, Deputy Hawk, is second in line. His three apprentices are in line to be the next deputy. Their names are Apprentice Bear, Apprentice Cobra, and I heard the new one is Apprentice Alligator. Always dip your head to these five. They are very high up on the ranking. They will look as their namesake."

Kristoff tied Sven up to a nearby tree, giving him a pat, as Iris cleared away some of the leaves on the bush. What was revealed is a hole where the bottom of the bush should be. "Ready to go?" Iris asked. Without waiting for an answer, she hopped in the hole and slid down a little slide. She popped out at the other side, standing up and jumping out of the way as Diablo came down next.

Then Anna slid down, her hand on her mouth so that she didn't whoop with joy. Kristoff was hot on her trail, worried about his wife and wanting to stay near her no matter what. Finally, Asche appeared at the bottom of the sled, looking a little ruffled from the journey.

Without missing a beat, Iris walked over to the other side of the linoleum room, opening the door. The bunch followed her wordlessly. Iris led them over to a new-looking Predator. "Um, excuse me?" she asked, tapping his shoulder. He turned to look towards her. "Trainee Coyote, could you please bring us to the prisoner's room? We heard that the room we are sharing is just beyond that. Also, Deputy Hawk wants us to go in and see our first victim," she continued with triumph in her voice and eyes.

Trainee Coyote sized them up a little bit, and then his eyes wandered over to Asche. "A shadow. Whose is he? Oh, and who are you all? You look new."

"He's his," Iris pointed towards Diablo. "My name is Newbie Piranha." She then pointed to Diablo. "He is Newbie Falcon. His shadow doesn't have a name," she explained, since in all honesty, she didn't know Asche's name yet. "And these are Newbie Cheetah, and Newbie Phoenix," she moved her finger to Anna and Kristoff in turn.

"Very well, follow me," Trainee Coyote complied, turning and walking off in another direction. The group of 'Newbie's followed without a sound. "You say you're Newbies, eh?" he asked, trying to pass the time as they traveled through the twisting hallways.

Anna was the first one to answer. "Yes, we are. I'm going to warn you early, though, that Newbie Phoenix, Newbie Falcon, and his shadow don't talk much. They're rather quiet," she apologized a little bit.

Trainee Coyote nodded, then pointed down a hall. "Third door on the right. The one with the guards behind it," he instructed. He was about to leave, but then faced them again. "And I know who you all are. The Predators deserve what's coming to them. I'll be back with the Rebels if you need help. I don't agree with their ways. They made me a monster. They made me kill someone. Good Luck." And then he left.

Anna was having a hard time containing her excitement at being so close to Elsa as all of them speed-walked down the hall, towards the directed door. Then a scream was heard from inside, and Anna broke the act. She called for Elsa, sprinting down the hall, her hood flying off as everyone else followed her.

* * *

Commander Lion bent down, attaching a tube to Elsa's forehead. There was two more on each of her hands, reaching in through holes in the shackles. Commander Lion smiled and walked over to where the machine was, humming slightly to himself as he prepared his wonderful magic-drainer.

That's when Elsa screamed. It caught Commander Lion so off guard that he couldn't react when Elsa broke out of her shackles and broke her chains, yanking out the tubes and leaping on top of him. Commander Lion snarled, sinking his teeth into Elsa's arm. Elsa hissed in pain, but reached down and froze his hands. He threw her off with inhumane strength.

"Come on, now! Is that all that you can give?" Elsa shouted, hatred and ire burning in her eyes. She shot ice at him constantly, but he dodged every attack. "You. Will. Never. Have. My. Magic!" she exclaimed, each word punctuated with another icicle shooting out of her hands.

Commander Lion replied by shooting a fire bolt at her. Elsa tried to dodge, but it caught on her hand, sizzling. She screeched in pain, hurling herself towards him. After that, they began a long game of dodge-and-attack, where one would attack and the other would dodge. Sometimes the second person would act too late, and get a frozen or burned arm or shoulder, but no one got too hurt yet.

Elsa heard yelling outside of the room. She thought she had imagined her name being called, but it appeared that she hadn't. "Anna!" she called as she recognized her sister's voice. This just made Elsa try harder to defeat Commander Lion.

* * *

Anna was kicking guards all around. Asche and Diablo were shooting magic, and Kristoff was throwing them against walls. More and more guards kept coming, though. Even Iris was punching them all around. None of them were being killed, though. Just knocked out. No one wanted to kill these people. Sure, they were evil, but they had lives as well.

The protagonists were beginning to lose, though. Anna had blood running down her face and had suffered a punch to the stomach, which worried her so much about her baby that she was on the verge of insanity.

Kristoff was fighting right by Anna, using his strength to his advantage. His nose was crooked and bleeding, likely broken. His cheek was bruised and he had a cut on his neck. Asche had been able to heal his own wounds, though. Diablo had a black eye, his devil's eye, ironically, and had two small cuts on his chest. Iris had a slash over her left eye, which had closed as blood pooled out of it. Iris was also bearing several punches to her gut and shoulder.

There were not many Predators knocked out, for many of the guards were enhanced with strength and endurance. One, a striped female, grabbed hold of Anna, both of the women falling to the floor. Kristoff kicked at the Predator until her grip loosened enough for Anna to escape. No one was able to hear Elsa's call above the chaos.

Asche fell to the floor, having been pushed by a Predator he assumed to be Apprentice Alligator, due to the slimy green skin and beady eyes. Apprentice Alligator pinned him down, biting his shoulder hard. Asche cried out in pain, squeezing his eyes tight. He wasn't able to reach behind him and heal it, though.

The pressure was removed from Asche just as he was about to suffocate. Asche looked over and saw Apprentice Alligator standing doubling over on his right side slightly. Asche's gaze moved over to Iris, who was kicking and punching at Apprentice Alligator like there was no tomorrow. "How many times do I have to save you!?" she exclaimed as Apprentice Alligator finally fell to the ground. Iris's foot connected with his head several times, and then Apprentice Alligator was unconscious.

Diablo's anger was rising at an incredible speed, and he felt the real devil in him peeking out. With a snarl, he began to dart around, attacking every Predator he saw. They were dropping quickly, but they were coming at an even faster rate. A howl was heard right then. No one needed to look to realize that it was Trainee Coyote and the Rebels he had talked about. Now, a large group was added to the previously tiny bunch.

"Knock them out cold! Don't kill them!" Trainee Coyote called to his Rebels. Everyone complied, doing exactly as their Rebel Leader had instructed.

It took only another three minutes, and more injuries, for the remaining guards to finally flee, looking terrified. The protagonists cheered. Asche walked over and bro-hugged Trainee Coyote. "Thank you so much for helping us…" he began, but was stopped as Trainee Coyote held up one hand.

"No need to thank us," Trainee Coyote insisted. "We had been searching for a chance to overthrow Commander Lion for a while now. The Predators were originally created by Commander Raven to preserve our magic. We're an older organization than you think. Commander Lion took over, though, and brainwashed everyone into evil. They'll return to normal once he's gone. He told lies about us. Now it's time for him to leave."

That's when another high-pitched shriek was heard from inside. Diablo and Anna were the first to react, bursting in through the doors, with Iris, Asche, and Kristoff hot on their trail. What they saw inside, though, terrified them all.

* * *

_**I'm sorry I accidentally missed two days ;-;. I'll hopefully be back on track now that school is out... Anyways, here's a nice, long, battle chapter :). From now on, the chapters will mainly be wrapping up this fanfiction. Next chapter with likely be the last one to really be part of the plot. After that, things will definitely calm down, and I plan for the fanfiction to be skipping months until major things happen. I am planning on making a sequel to this fanfiction, though, so when it's over there will be more, and another plot :).**_


	35. Chapter 35

Elsa looked pretty badly burned. She had burns on her cheek, side, shoulder, neck, and several places on her arms. She also had beads of blood running down one arm. She wasn't the only damaged person, though. Commander Lion had frozen hands and a frozen chin. He had blood oozing out of several spots where Elsa's icicles had scratched him. Needless to say, they were both on the brink of exhaustion.

There were spouts in the room of what looked like frozen fire that was burning to the touch and was the product of their powers colliding together. Elsa had a large icicle pushing Commander Lion against the wall, though, several smaller ones pinning him to the wall. There was cold hatred on Elsa's face as she pushed the huge icicle closer to Commander Lion. He cried out in pain as it began to pierce his chest.

"Elsa!"

Anna's call made Elsa falter. Elsa stumbled back a few steps, blinking as if waking up from a dream. The icicles dropped, as did Commander Lion. Elsa stared at him, bewildered, not quite remembering what happened. Elsa glanced towards the door, confusion on her face. She saw Anna, Kristoff, Diablo, Asche, and the prisoner girl, Iris. Elsa could feel her body burning in some places. This only puzzled her more, though.

"Anna? Diablo?" she asked, right as Anna and Diablo ran in towards her. Kristoff marched towards Commander Lion, who was unconscious.

Asche started to follow Kristoff before he noticed that Iris was standing in the doorway, looking paralyzed. He backtracked and placed one hand on her arm. "Are you okay?" he asked cautiously, knowing that she hated him and that this probably wasn't the best idea. Oh well. "Is it about Commander Lion? Because trust me, I know what it is like to lose one parent and have the other on the verge of death…"

Iris shook her head a tiny bit. "I'm fine. It's not about Commander Lion. I have never truly considered him my father. I don't care about him. It's just that I… Well, this is the first time I'm actually going to talk to the Queen of Arendelle, so I don't want to screw it up…"

Asche gave her a small smile. "Elsa's easy, trust me. She's not going to do anything to you. Plus, I think she wants to see the person who saved her lover and sister," he pointed out, grabbing Iris's wrist and leading her over to Elsa.

Elsa was being fussed over by Anna about her burns, and Diablo was holding her hands. "I'm fine," she insisted. "I can barely feel it. He didn't hurt me too bad. You're hurt, too, Anna!" she stated, examining Anna's burnt cheek and the cut on her forehead that was still seeping blood. Elsa used the back of her hand to try and brush away some of the blood, even though not all of it was Anna's.

Elsa gave up on cleaning Anna's face, turning to Diablo. She frowned at his black eye, but she still leaned forward and pressed her lips to his anyways. Her hand found a home on his chest, but she pulled back then. Her frown deepened. "Your chest… It's bleeding," she examined, looking down at the red spot on his chest, where her hand had just been. The blood had been warm and rather gross.

Diablo gave a small, nervous laugh. "Yeah. I got a few small cuts on it. Anyways, we would all be charred piles of ashes if it weren't for little Miss Iris Templeton over there," he replied, pointing towards Iris, who was standing, white-faced, beside them. Diablo was glad that the attention was of off him, as he was never one for being the center of attention.

Elsa walked over to Iris. Immediately, Iris dropped down onto her knees, bowing anxiously. "Your Majesty!" she gasped. "I-I can explain… I just…"

Elsa snapped her fingers, making Iris look up at her. Elsa took notice of how Iris's uncut eye was glossy with unshed tears. "You don't have to explain anything," Elsa told her. "I understand that you saved the lives of everyone I care about, and that's enough for me."

Elsa then got to work cooling off everyone's burns, using her ice powers as Kristoff propped Commander Lion's body up into a sitting position. "So, what are we going to do with him?" Kristoff asked, nodding towards Commander Lion.

Iris spoke up before Elsa could, though. "Well, that's easy. We have to interrogate him until he tells us how to set all of his unwilling minions free. I mean after all, they did no harm. They were just mind controlled," she explained, then realized that Elsa had been about to speak when she cut her off. "I mean… Y-you can answer… Your Majesty…" she stuttered slightly, curtsying to Elsa a little bit and avoiding her gaze.

Elsa offered Iris a reassuring smile, despite the pain echoing throughout her entire body. Iris still wasn't looking, though. "I think that is a wonderful idea," Elsa commented, drawing Iris's intact eye to her. Nervously, Iris returned Elsa's smile. "We need to tie him up, though. And shackle his hands. I'm sure there are some shackles somewhere, since I kind of broke mine…"

Just then, the doors burst open once more, and in rushed many, many Predators. Trainee Coyote was at front. "Queen Elsa! Princess Anna! Prince Kristoff! We all remember! Everyone's mind control was broken!" he exclaimed, looking excited. "And, it seems that we have a new leader," he continued. He stepped aside and Apprentice Cobra appeared behind him.

"I was Apprentice Cobra. Now I guess I'm Commander Cobra now, huh?" she laughed nervously, a shy blush creeping onto her white scaled face. She gestured to her cobra's hood, which was two slits on her neck that she could open and close easily. "You have all done a great deal of wonders to The Predators," she continued, crossing over to them. "There were a few of us who… The mind control didn't work quite well on. Persuasion did, though. I was one of those who were mind controlled. Now, I guess I was chosen to rule The Predators. Either way, we will be returned to our original glory. And that is preserving our magic, not succumbing to greed and choosing more. So, I just want to thank all of you. Your Highnesses," she curtsied slightly, a smile on her face.

Anna grinned back at her, giving a small nod of respect. "The pleasure's all ours. After all, we were just protecting our Queen," she replied, teasing slightly, as she took Elsa's hand in hers, beaming up at her big sister for a second before returning her gaze to Commander Cobra. "Congratulations, by the way, on the promotion. But… Wouldn't Deputy Hawk have been selected to be the next Commander?" she asked, confused at the whole concept.

Commander Cobra didn't hesitate with her answer. "He's a traitor. The power only flows to the good ones. Commander Lion, well… He used to be good. But he was corrupted with greed. Who would have ever thought Commander Raven's great grandson could be so atrocious?" she chuckled softly to herself.

Iris looked puzzled by this news. "Commander Raven was, like, the best leader ever, right? And Commander Lion was her great grandson? That means I'm…" Her eyes widened in surprise.

Commander Cobra smiled warmly at her. "Yes, dear. You are Commander Raven's great great granddaughter. You have fantastic blood within you. I'm guessing that the greatness skipped a generation. Still, I see that you are nothing like him. Your mother would be proud, were she alive. I'd love if you could stay and become part of The Predators, but I understand if you don't want to. After all, I'm not going to force you."

Iris glanced back at the group, and then returned her gaze to Commander Cobra. "I wish I could," she began. "But I don't belong here. I may be related to Commander Raven, but I have other blood within me as well. I hope we can cross paths in the future and meet again, but I think we have to return to Arendelle now… We will take my father and find out what to do with him there. I'm afraid we have to say farewell soon, though… But do you, by chance, have chains for us to use?"

* * *

Elsa sat at the front of the crowd, Anna beside her. Kristoff, Diablo, Asche, Iris, and the newly out-of-the-hospital Tigress were in the crowd, not wanting to be in front. Elsa gave one nod to the head of the firing squad. "Ask him," she told the head simply.

The man bowed his head and walked over to where Lion, relieved of his Commander title, was tied against a wooden pole. The head of the firing squad walked over to him. "Any last words?" he inquired, narrowing his eyes at Lion in disgust.

Lion nodded his head once. "Yes. I have small prophecy for our Queen here…" he took a deep breath, and then continued. "_Melt the Ice Around her Heart / Caution until Warmth Due Apart,"_ he chanted, his eyes closed.

Elsa and Anna exchanged a confused look. "Wait. What does that mean?" Elsa snapped, irritated.

Lion simply shrugged in reply. "I dunno."

Elsa sighed. She'd have to figure this out on her own. "Kill him," she ordered, turning so that she didn't have to see the arrows sink into Lion's chest. Anna had turned as well, and they both heard that last, dying shriek that erupted from Lion's throat. Elsa flinched, and Anna gave her sister's hand a small squeeze.

"We'll be okay," Anna whispered quietly. Elsa nodded; the crowd was beginning to disband. Everyone left until there was only Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Asche, Tigress, Iris, and Commander Lion's dead body left. The group had healed quite a bit within the last month that they've been deciding what to do with Lion. Iris still had a permanent scar over her left eye, but there was nothing that could be done about that. Iris walked over to her father's dead body and kicked it a little bit.

Iris smirked slightly. "Yup, he's dead," she confirmed. She had been waiting her whole life to see her father die. After all, he had killed her sister and her mother. She crossed back over to the rest of the group. "Don't have to worry about him anymore. And I promise you, I'm not like him. I inherited my mother's softer, emotional side, though I hate to say it, over his evil, greedy side," she continued, giving a small laugh.

Asche turned towards her. "After all we've been through, can you find it in that cynical little heart of yours to forgive me, or at least tolerate me?"

Iris's smirk dropped and she scowled at him. Like her smirk, though, her scowl dropped not so long after. "Fine, I guess I could forgive you. If you promise to never use me like that again, then I guess some forgiveness could be allowed. I'm not trusting you yet, though. Know that."

Asche smiled, and Iris couldn't help but grin back at him. "Forgiveness is all I'm asking for," he answered.

"Well, this has certainly been a long, crazy ride…" Kristoff chuckled a little bit. "Looks like we've made quite a bunch new friends. And hopefully not too many enemies. You never know…" he sighed. "Life is full of surprises.

Anna beamed up at him. "It certainly is," she agreed. "Oh, I hope it's not too late to mention that one month ago a Predator kind of punched me in my stomach… Don't worry, though! I checked with the doctor; the baby's alive," she covered quickly, looking towards Elsa.

Elsa sighed and smacked her hand to her forehead. "Anna… Why don't you tell me these things?" she groaned. She still pulled Anna in for a hug, though, and others kept adding on until it was a big group hug. Iris was the last one to latch on, and she only did because Asche forced her to.

Things could be okay now. Things could really work out.

* * *

_**Sorry it took so long, my internet freaked .. Anyways, from now on in this fanfiction, things will be calming down. It's going to focus on family matters for the rest of it, and then it will be wrapped up with a little surprise. :).**_


	36. Chapter 36

**Four months later…**

Kristoff sighed. He had known that this moment would come sooner or later. He patted Sven's shoulder as the reindeer huffed heavily. "It's alright buddy…" Kristoff whispered to his best friend. "You lived a long life. You were the best friend I could ever have. We were together for a long time, you and me…" he gave a sad laugh as Sven let out a small, hoarse bleat.

"I know… It's hard for me, too…" Kristoff frowned. A few tears rolled down the mountain man's cheeks. He knew that today was Sven's last day. They both knew it. Sven lived to be pretty old, for a reindeer. Much longer than any other reindeer Kristoff knew. He hugged his buddy close. "But we'll have to get through this. Together. Look, I'm not going to deny it Sven… I wish that you didn't have to go. But I promise, with all my heart, that I will never forget you."

Again, Sven tried to bleat. His health had been deteriorating ever since they had Lion executed. Sven's large old heart just wouldn't hold anymore. Kristoff buried his face in Sven's side. "You don't have to apologize. I have to thank you. For being… For being amazing. For being there for me when my parents died. For being there for me ever since. For knowing that's best for me. For helping me find true love. For pushing yourself to help even when you were tired. For being loyal. For being dedicated. For being understanding. For living this long. For being the best reindeer ever. For being the best ice harvester companion ever. For being the best friend a guy could have. For being… For being _my_ best friend…"

More tears fell down Kristoff's face, though he wished they would stop. "Aw, buddy… Your body may not be able to hold up anymore, but you… You will always live on… In my heart. In all of our hearts. I promise that even when your body is long gone, your legacy will never be forgotten. Your heart will never be forgotten. Sven, the best reindeer that ever lived. I like that title. It suits you well. After all, reindeers are better than people, right?" he gave a pained, melancholy smile.

If reindeers could cry, then Sven was crying. The stable door opened and Kristoff felt Anna's hand on his shoulder not long after. He wiped his eyes and looked up to see his pregnant wife with Olaf right next to her. They both looked pretty dismal. It was obvious that they knew, as well. Anna wrapped her arms around Kristoff, leaning her head against her shoulder as Sven snorted.

"Sven…" Olaf began quietly, walking over to the reindeer. "You've been my best friend, too. I don't want you to die… I mean, who is going to kiss my nose, if not you? Who is going to let me ride on his back? Who is going to frolic in the summer dandelions with me? You really mean a lot to me Sven, and I'm sorry it has to end like this… I wish you could live forever… There are many reindeers in this world, but none as wonderful and caring as you…" He hugged the reindeer tight, but not too tight as to suffocate him. "Here's one last, warm hug for you. I hope it carries with you to wherever you're going… I'm going to miss you…"

Now, Olaf stepped back to let Anna lean over and rest a hand on Sven's neck. "Where do I begin?" she wondered, sighing. "Well, I guess I'm going to begin by saying thank you. For not only saving my life, but for saving my sister's life countless times. You never gave up on any of us, even when I was frozen and Elsa was in a very dangerous place. You are the bravest animal I have ever seen. I agree with Kristoff, for once. Reindeers are better than people."

Eventually, Sven's breathing began to cease. Anna reached over and planted a kiss upon Sven's head. Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf all then bowed their heads in respect as Sven took in his last, dying breath. Kristoff glanced up at Sven once more. "Goodbye, Sven… I love you. I'll miss you, old boy. I hope there are lots of carrots for you to eat wherever you go after this…"

And then they all stood up and left, heartbroken, knowing that even though Sven was dead now, he would always live on in their hearts. He could never truly die.

* * *

**Two months later…**

Elsa hated the sensation of being stuck behind the door. It reminded her of her isolation. She could hear Anna's shouts from inside and they only made her even more nervous. Her nails were nearly chewed to the nubs now, and her anxious glance was on the door. The air was freezing to the whole room except for her. Semi-consciously, she brought her hand back up to her mouth and continued to chew on her fingernails.

Diablo sighed as Elsa began to chew again. He reached out and took her hand, bringing it down from her mouth and holding it on both of his. His hands were numb now from the cold, but he was staying with her anyways. "Calm down, Elsa…" he whispered softly. "She'll be okay. I promise… I bet Kristoff's ears will be hurting from being yelled at, though," he tried an attempt at a joke.

Elsa gave a tiny, halfhearted laugh. "You can keep saying that Diablo, but it's not going to change me…" She leaned her head against him and sighed, closing her eyes tight. "I-I can't help but think… That I'm going to doom the child… I'm going to kill it before it even sees me…" She let out a choked sob, burying her face in Diablo's shoulder. Anna's shrieks weren't making it any easier for her. "And to think… That she's in so much pain… And I'm stuck out here…"

Diablo wrapped one arm around Elsa, holding her closer to him. "Shh… Shh… I know… But the doctors don't want you to freeze the room… It's nothing personal, trust me. I mean, you might not want to freeze the child before it's even born."

Elsa raised one hand and smacked his arm. "Not funny," she mumbled. "Even if I don't freeze it… It might have powers… And then I'd be doomed again… What if… What if the child has to conceal? What if it has to go into isolation?" The room dropped a good ten degrees as she fretted.

It was only Elsa and Diablo in the waiting room. Everyone else had to leave because of the cold temperature. Elsa wanted Diablo to leave as well, but he refused. In all honesty, Elsa needed him. She didn't think that she could do this without him.

Diablo reached down and kissed the top of Elsa's head, since her face was still on his shoulder. "Hey," he said softly. "We're going to be okay. Everything will be fine, I promise. If any of those things happen, we can deal with it. If the child has powers, it can learn to control them. Like you did," he pointed out.

Elsa let out another small sob. "But what if… What if the child hates its Aunt Elsa?" she asked softly, both arms wrapping around him, seeking comfort.

"Look at me," Diablo ordered. Elsa obliged, lifting her head and staring him straight in the eyes. She noted how warm his eyes were, and they made something warm sprout in her chest. Diablo took his hand out of hers temporarily and held her chin a little higher. "Who could ever hate someone as beautiful, amazing, funny, wonderful, loving, loveable, and warm as you?"

Elsa gave an almost imperceptible smile. "You really mean that?" she inquired, not noticing how much the screams had died down.

Diablo gave a nod of his head. "I really, really do. I mean it with all my heart."

Elsa's smile widened a little bit. She also didn't notice how much the room was thawing. "See? That's why I'm with you. You always know just what to say," she replied softly, not yet willing to admit that she loved him, though she knew that she did. She pulled back a little bit as she heard the door open.

Kristoff was standing in the doorway, a large smile on his face. "It's a boy," he whispered, his eyes as bright as his smile. No one noticed how he was on the verge of crying out of joy. He then disappeared back inside.

As expected, Elsa's fears immediately began to rush back. Diablo's hands massaging her shoulders calmed her down enough to not freeze the room too much, though. "Conceal, don't feel, conceal, don't feel, conceal, don't feel," Elsa began to chant without realizing it. Diablo held one finger to her lips, shushing her.

"Expose, don't close," Diablo insisted, reaching over and planting a small kiss on Elsa's lips. She nodded, her eyes wide.

The door opened once more, and Elsa looked towards it anxiously, feeling the room's temperature drop a little bit as Kristoff walked out again. When Elsa got a peek at what he was holding, though, she felt warmth in her chest and the room immediately began to thaw as well. Kristoff crossed over to Elsa and, before she could protest, placed his newborn son in her arms. "Anna and I both agreed that you should see him as soon as possible," he grinned down at her, since she and Diablo were both sitting.

Elsa stared down at the child in her arms, instinctively holding him as properly as she could. The baby opened his bright, chocolate-colored eyes and gave a small giggle at the startled expression on her face. He had a small tuft of orange hair on his head, and had the most angelic face ever. Elsa was more than surprised that he wasn't crying, though. Babies usually cry when born, right? Plus, she probably looked strange…

Still, she couldn't help but laugh a little bit when he did. "Hello there," she cooed at him softly. "I'm your Aunt Elsa. And you know what? I'm going to try to be the best aunt that I can be. The best aunt that you can have. I can't promise that I'll succeed, but I promise you that I'll try. Okay?"

In reply, the newborn reached out one chubby, adorable arm and pawed at Elsa's nose. Elsa grinned down at him. "What's his name?" she asked without even looking up.

Elsa could hear Kristoff's smile in his voice. "I made a promise, just as you did. And now I am keeping it. Anna and I have agreed to name him Sven," he answered, pride lacing his voice thickly. "Sven the reindeer saved all of our bottoms multiple times, so we figured 'What better way to honor him than naming our own son after him?'"

Elsa began to bounce her arms ever so slightly. Sven giggled; he seemed to like that. "I can see why. He definitely is calm," she gave a small, loving laugh as she made cooing noises at him. She held him closer to her face, but not too close as to scare him.

In response, Sven reached out and latched his tiny hand onto Elsa's ear, moving it around curiously. He then yawned. "You like that? You like my ear?" Elsa queried, watching as his hand retracted, moving over to the tail of her messy braid and yanking on it slightly. Elsa just kept smiling at him. "My hair, too? Soft, I know. I try to make it soft often," she told him. She noticed his next yawn, looking up at Kristoff. "Maybe you should take him back to his mother," she said, trying to hide the disappointment in her voice.

Elsa neatly handed Sven back to his father, who kissed his forehead. Elsa sighed and leaned against Diablo once more. He kept his arm wrapped around her. Diablo had noticed how well she had handled Sven.

He held her close as she seemed to deflate next to him. "You know… You're going to make an amazing mother someday," he told her frankly, planting a kiss on her cheek.

Elsa glanced at him, amusement on her face. "You're not the first to say that," she replied, thinking back to when Tigress told her the same thing, way back when they were visiting Bella, Sierra, and Jay.

Diablo smirked at Elsa in response. "That's because it's true."

* * *

_**I hope that this chapter was as heart wrenching for you to read as it was for me to write it... /sigh/ To be honest, I cried a few times. Anyways, there should be about 2-4 more chapters, showing everything that happened with all of the characters, and some Elsablo moments :3.**_


	37. Chapter 37

**Five Months Later**

Elsa blinked a few times at was inside of the stall. Seriously? She should have guessed that this is what Kristoff meant when he said he had a surprise waiting for her in the stables. The baby reindeer bleated at her innocently, looking frightened.

Elsa sighed and crossed over to it. She crouched down and reached over, petting its neck a few times. It leaned into her touch. Elsa wasn't even sure of the gender. The baby was only just growing antlers, a few stubs peeking out of the top of its head. She noticed a collar on it, which had a tag on that. She examined the tag wordlessly. It said '_Unnamed, female. Thought you needed something special in your life. I would have kept her, but I found her on the North Mountain all alone, so she reminded me of you. –K'_

The reindeer climbed onto Elsa's lap, looking up at her with wide, almost pleading eyes. Elsa considered this, and then petted her again. "Fine," Elsa reluctantly agreed. "I'll keep you. But he's going to pay." She chuckled a little bit as the reindeer nuzzled into her. "I guess you need a name, huh? Hmm… How about… Kaia?" she suggested.

Elsa didn't think that the reindeer protested, but she isn't as good at this as Kristoff is. "Well… I, um, I have to go… I have to go visit someone-"

Just as she stood up to leave, Kaia nearly freaked out, jumping and latching onto the end of Elsa's dress with her teeth. Her eyes were wide with fear. They kept darting back to a corner, and Elsa frowned. Gently, she freed her dress and cautiously walked over to the corner, which Kaia was staring menacingly at, her tiny fur bristling.

Elsa crouched down. The only thing there was a small, sharp shard of metal on the floor. "What the…?" Elsa wondered out loud, picking it up. Kaia bleated at it and kicked at the ground with her hooves. Elsa didn't know much about reindeers, but she knew when they were about to charge. She stepped out of the way just in time. "Calm down. I'm going to bring this back to the castle and have Arendelle's scientists analyze it. But I can't do that if you knock it out of my hand and one of us gets hurt. Alright?"

Kaia seemed to huff, but didn't charge Elsa again. Elsa turned to leave once more, but Kaia let out a long, wailing sound. Elsa faced Kaia once more, and Kaia let out a tiny, sad grunt. Elsa took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Kaia padded over to her and sat, looking up at her with large, sad reindeer eyes. "Okay, okay. I give," Elsa relented. "You can come to the castle just this once. First, I'll have to take you to visit… Old friends and an old enemy. So... Do I get you a leash or…?" she trailed off, completely confused as to what to do with a reindeer.

In reply, Kaia just marched out of the open stable door. Elsa grinned after her. The little girl was just so spritely and confident of herself… Elsa followed her wordlessly. Elsa ended up ahead of Kaia, the baby reindeer having troubles keeping up as she was tiring quickly. No matter, though, for Kaia had a perfect idea.

Elsa paused and waited for her reindeer to catch up. When she started walking again, Kaia began weaving around Elsa's feet. With a gasp, Elsa tripped, landing on her knees. "Kaia!" she exclaimed, then flinched as she felt a weight on her shoulder.

Elsa looked over to see Kaia laying on her shoulder, front hooves in front and hind hooves in back. Elsa was sort of ruffled at first, but she broke into easy chuckles soon after. She quickly stood back up and began to walk again. Kaia, luckily, didn't argue. Or at least, she didn't to the best of Elsa's knowledge.

Elsa didn't even know how to care for a reindeer, much less hold one when it grows older. Why would Kristoff think that she knew how to do this? Not to mention, fears of freezing the poor thing came rushing back. She shuddered at the thought, but again, Kaia stayed silent.

What if she did freeze her? She had been able to get used to holding Sven by now, but not Kaia. Kaia is an entirely new species. She wished that she had paid more attention to how Kristoff and Anna cared for Sven the reindeer. To her credit, though, she never thought that she'd be stuck with a reindeer of her own. She especially didn't know how to take care of a _baby_ reindeer. What does she feed it? When does she feed it? How much does she feed it?

Elsa never stopped walking towards her destination, though her mind continued to wander. Her fears began to grow as she thought of all of the worst possible scenarios. What if it ran away? What if it was a nuisance? What if it took up too much time? What if she took so poor care of it that it starved, or dehydrated, or even wandered off and got eaten by a wolf?

Unconsciously, Elsa began to hug herself, forgetting that Kaia was even on her shoulder. What if she hated her? What if she was nothing but trouble? What if she wreaked havoc throughout the castle? What if she hurt Sven? What if she didn't like Diablo? What if she was terrified of Elsa's powers? What if she didn't like any of Elsa's few friends? Would Elsa have to give her away? Would she have to train her, which would take a long time due to her Queenly duties? Would she have to kill her?

Elsa hugged herself tighter at the thought, closing her eyes for a brief few seconds before opening them again. Arendelle citizens were casting her concerned glances, but she didn't notice them. She could feel the ground beginning to frost over, and quickly she tried to direct her thoughts to Diablo. She didn't know if she loved him that much, but she could try. She felt as if Anna was a little overused. Just a little.

She began to think of how Diablo would hold her when she was having a breakdown. How he would protect her without a second thought. How he would smile at her with that adorable, charming smile of his that always made her feel something warm. How he could always make her feel better when he underestimated his own strength and would end up on either his face or bottom. Elsa let out a small laugh at that last one she thought of. She glanced down; the ground was unthawed. _So, that's it, then. I love him,_ she thought to herself.

The thought stunned her more than she imagined it would. _My lord, I am in love… How did that even happen? I mean, I know I felt something… A strong like, maybe… But, love? The only other person that I could only think of and thaw is Anna. I-I can't be in love… I just can't. It's not normal for me. I didn't even know I felt anything other than familial and intimate love… it's just not possible for me to feel romantic love… It's not-_

Her thoughts were cut of as she ran into-whom else?–Diablo. They both stumbled forwards a little bit, and then both of them fell to the floor together. "Oh, my gosh! I am so sorry Diablo! I just wasn't looking like-I mean, I wasn't looking where I was going… I was just…" Elsa stumbled for words, flustered. Most would say that she sounded a lot like Anna right now.

Diablo turned to face her, an easy smile on his face. He cupped her chin in his hand, forcing her to look up at him. "Hey, calm down Elsa. It's alright. I get lost in my mind, too. Nobody's perfect. Stop trying to be. Who cares if you run into someone? You should just apologize and keep going. You shouldn't let your flaws slow you down," he chuckled a little bit, standing up and offering her a hand. She took it gratefully, and he helped her to her feet.

Elsa leaned in right then and gave him a small peck on the lips, her smile wide. "I'm glad you said that," she responded. Before she could explain, Kaia grunted at her and nudged her leg. Elsa's eyes widened a little bit. She had forgotten all about Kaia… _See? I'm a horrible owner already… This is why mama and papa never let me get a bird…_ she mentally chastised herself, kneeling down and letting Kaia hop onto her shoulder once more.

Diablo raised one eyebrow at the reindeer on Elsa's shoulder. "Kristoff," Elsa explained simply. Diablo nodded in reply. "So… Where you heading?" Elsa asked innocently as they both started padding in the same direction.

Diablo lifted one shoulder. "To go visit my 'family' and welcome them to Arendelle," he answered.

Elsa glanced at him. "Really? That's where I was going, too. Do you want to walk there together?" she suggested.

Diablo shrugged once again. "Sure," he responded nonchalantly. His hand found Elsa's and he took it in his. In reply, Elsa gave his a little squeeze. Diablo's other hand rested on the top of his leg, right on his pocket. He bit the inside of his lip nervously. He had a ring in his pocket, but he wasn't even sure if he wanted to use it. He wasn't even sure why he bought it. He had originally been heading to his mother's new home to talk to her about proposing to Elsa, but he still wasn't sure if he was ready…

It might even be too soon. He didn't know anything about relationships. When he was with Layla, believe it or not, she had proposed to him. She had always been a tomboy. But Elsa was the _Queen_ of Arendelle… She could fire him from his job, or even kick him out of Arendelle if he moved too quickly.

They finally reached the door, and Elsa knocked a few times. "So, umm, Elsa… I was just wondering… Can… I mean, Will you… I mean… Do you want to…?"

Elsa was staring at him with puzzlement on her face. Before Diablo could blurt it out, though, the door opened. "Elsa!" came a shriek of joy. Elsa was bombarded by Jay and Sierra, being knocked down. She hugged them, laughing.

Diablo sighed. Maybe another time. Bella walked out cautiously, looking at Elsa, and then at Diablo. "We came to welcome you to Arendelle. You may not be too pleasing to either of us, but you're still my mother, so it's kind of custom," he explained. Then, he gave her the tiniest hug a person could give. The hug wasn't warm, but it wasn't particularly cold, either.

Kaia hopped off of Elsa's shoulder, and Jay and Sierra proceeded to coo over her while Elsa stood up and brushed off her midnight blue dress. She stepped closer to Diablo, and then got a peek at who else was inside of Bella's house. "Is that…" she began, squinting a tiny bit.

Diablo followed her gaze. "…Phoebe?" he finished, just as the woman approached the front door.

"Queen Elsa, Diablo," Phoebe greeted them, curtsying in respect. "I just… Well, I'm working for Bella. I clean her house for her. Don't worry, I received all for the money you sent me, and I… I couldn't be more grateful…" her smile was as bright as her eyes. "But I need something to fill my time. I met a guy in the woods and we're kind of together. He likes to take care of my brothers, so that leaves me with a lot of extra time."

Elsa nodded in understanding. "That makes sense," she answered. "Anyways…. We just came to see that you all settled in well… I um, I have to go now. Anna's probably wondering where I am, and with her new son, we don't want her worried very much."

"Son?" Phoebe asked, but Elsa had already snatched Kaia up and left.

Diablo nodded. "Yeah, it ends up Anna had been pregnant. Five months ago, she gave birth to a very healthy, very adorable son. His name is Sven, named after his father's reindeer and best friend who had died not too long before. Anyways… Mother… Can I, um, talk to you? Alone?"

Bella furrowed her brow, but nodded, beckoning him inside. Phoebe entertained Jay and Sierra while Bella led Diablo to her own room. They both sat on the bed, and Bella stared at her son questioningly.

"Well…" Diablo began. "I-I think I might want to propose to Elsa… But I don't know if it's the right time, or even if I'm ready… I just… I need motherly advice. Please… I need help. I don't know what to do…" he sighed, hanging his head.

Bella gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "I think that you should do it when your heart tells you it's the right time, not your head," she explained. "There's nothing more I can say about it… You might need to go back to the castle now, before we start yelling at each other. I can imagine that's why the Queen left so soon."

Diablo nodded and wordlessly left, heading back towards the castle. His mind wandered, and eventually he forgot all about the ring in his pocket.

* * *

_**I am SUPER sorry that I accidentally missed 3 days! We're trying to get a pool, so there's lots to be done x-x. Anyways, there will be only 2-3 more chapters. I might be able to narrow it down to 2, but then quite a bit would happen in the next chapter.**_


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